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
Synonyms
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
Every object from Lindquist is made in their Rhode Island studio of artists and makers and is characterized by the timelessness and collaborative spirit of artisan craft.
—
Tanya Benedicto Klich, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
Beautiful Art Deco buildings, characterized by their streamlined elegance and bold geometry, have enchanted cities worldwide for nearly a century.
—Maya Chawla, Architectural Digest, 16 Dec. 2024
These companies will be characterized by small, highly skilled human teams working in concert with sophisticated AI systems to achieve outputs that rival those of much larger traditional organizations.
—Ethan Mollick, WIRED, 15 Dec. 2024
On the island of Great Britain, this era was characterized by the decline of Roman rule (around the early 5th century) and the establishment of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms over the following two centuries or so.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for characterize 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Tanya Benedicto Klich, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
Beautiful Art Deco buildings, characterized by their streamlined elegance and bold geometry, have enchanted cities worldwide for nearly a century.
—Maya Chawla, Architectural Digest, 16 Dec. 2024
These companies will be characterized by small, highly skilled human teams working in concert with sophisticated AI systems to achieve outputs that rival those of much larger traditional organizations.
—Ethan Mollick, WIRED, 15 Dec. 2024
On the island of Great Britain, this era was characterized by the decline of Roman rule (around the early 5th century) and the establishment of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms over the following two centuries or so.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for characterize
Dictionary Entries Near characterize
Cite this Entry
“Characterize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/characterize. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share