characterize
verb
char·ac·ter·ize
ˈker-ik-tə-ˌrīz 
ˈka-rik-
characterized; characterizing
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
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
Destructive conflict, on the other hand, is characterized by negative emotions and personal attacks.
—
Dileep Marway, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
Legal observers and some industry groups, including the National Association of Broadcasters, have characterized Trump’s lawsuit as frivolous.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2025
Pisces personality, traits Pisces are characterized by their creativity and imagination, Walker says.
—Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2025
It is characterized by gambling behavior that causes clinical stress and major problems in relationships, school, work and/or finances.
—Kiki Intarasuwan, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for characterize
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Dileep Marway, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
Legal observers and some industry groups, including the National Association of Broadcasters, have characterized Trump’s lawsuit as frivolous.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2025
Pisces personality, traits Pisces are characterized by their creativity and imagination, Walker says.
—Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2025
It is characterized by gambling behavior that causes clinical stress and major problems in relationships, school, work and/or finances.
—Kiki Intarasuwan, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for characterize
Cite this Entry
“Characterize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/characterize. Accessed 2 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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