characterize

verb

char·​ac·​ter·​ize ˈker-ik-tə-ˌrīz 

ˈka-rik-

characterized; characterizing

transitive verb

1

: to describe the character (see character entry 1 sense 1a) or quality of

characterizes him as ambitious

2

: to be a characteristic of : distinguish

an era characterized by greed

Synonyms of characterize

• describe
• portray
• define

Examples of characterize in a Sentence

How would you characterize the situation?

I would characterize this as a positive change for our company.

She had difficulty characterizing their relationship.

His personality is hard to characterize.

Farms and large flat fields characterize most of the area.

the beliefs that characterized Europe in the 15th century

Recent Examples on the Web

That these last few years have been appropriately characterized as disappointing is a compliment to the 20 that preceded it. —Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2026

Dozens of people waved Transgender Pride and Pride flags, the latter of which is characterized by the colors of the rainbow. —Angela Palermo april 1, Idaho Statesman, 1 Apr. 2026

Shah's account differs from how prosecutors characterized her role. —Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026

Plants flower best in full sun, characterized by six hours or more of direct sunlight per day. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see character entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1602, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for characterize

• actualize
• antagonize
• apologise
• apologize
• capitalize
• categorize
• commercialize
• conceptualize
• contrariwise
• criminalize
• decentralize
• democratize

Kids Definition

characterize

verb

char·​ac·​ter·​ize ˈkar-ik-tə-ˌrīz 

characterized; characterizing

1

: to point out the character of an individual or group : describe

characterize him as ambitious

2

: to be characteristic of

tragic endings characterized her stories