character 1 of 2

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as in symbol
a written or printed mark that is meant to convey information to the reader the pictorial characters of the ancient Egyptians had long been a mystery

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in identity
the set of qualities that make a person different from other people she regards each of her children as having a distinctive character that should be valued for what it is

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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character

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verb

as in to characterize
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group formerly charactered as "the dark ages," that period of history may not have been quite so benighted as once thought

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word character different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of character are attribute, property, and quality. While all these words mean "an intelligible feature by which a thing may be identified," character applies to a peculiar and distinctive quality of a thing or a class.

remarks of an unseemly character

When might attribute be a better fit than character?

The words attribute and character can be used in similar contexts, but attribute implies a quality ascribed to a thing or a being.

the attributes of a military hero

When can property be used instead of character?

The synonyms property and character are sometimes interchangeable, but property implies a characteristic that belongs to a thing's essential nature and may be used to describe a type or species.

the property of not conducting heat

In what contexts can quality take the place of character?

The meanings of quality and character largely overlap; however, quality is a general term applicable to any trait or characteristic whether individual or generic.

material with a silky quality

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of character
Noun
At the beginning, Matty definitely knows less than Olympia, and that’s a different place for characters to start in in the second season. Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 9 Oct. 2025 Includes spooky scenes, 10 trick-or-treat stations for ages 2-12, straw creatures, photo ops, the Fall Fun Zone, costumed characters, Carn-Evil carnival games, animal shows, free carousel rides and storytime. Andy Humbles, Nashville Tennessean, 9 Oct. 2025 So Mary was always my touchstone for the character and for the story. Vogue, 9 Oct. 2025 As the third Gilmore girl — her character is Rory's (Alexis Bledel) grandmother and Lorelai's (Lauren Graham) mother — Emily liked the finer things in life and was very particular about, well, everything. Hedy Phillips, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for character
Recent Examples of Synonyms for character
Noun
  • The team discovered that oxygen can degrade riboflavin when exposed to light, which leads to self-discharge.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Seattle lends itself to delicious satire, with its touching self-belief of being unshakably progressive.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In time, the apple’s proliferation on American soil and the ubiquity of apple pie on American menus would help turn the dessert into a patriotic symbol.
    Victoria Flexner, The Atlantic, 9 Oct. 2025
  • For now, Figure 03 remains a striking symbol of progress and a reminder that the leap from lab to living room is not quite complete.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • It was considered immoral to lie and the whole point of writing things down back then was to increase morality and improve society, so there really is no didactic history of forgery.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Still, the Catholic Legion of Decency and other morality groups would criticize the scene as indecent.
    Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In 2022, revelations of some LDP lawmakers’ ties to the former Unification Church hurt the party’s reputation.
    Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Its vibrant arts community, outdoor recreation, and vintage boutiques and shops add to its charming town reputation.
    Laura Daniella Sepulveda, AZCentral.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • So yes, this is a very unique characteristic of choux.
    Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Brian Stablein, then in his second season as an Indianapolis receiver, saw similar characteristics.
    Doug Haller, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Despite appearances to the contrary—the swirling sentences, the feverish intellection—there is nothing hermetic about Krasznahorkai’s work, both old and new, which squarely faces contemporary European reality and its perils, including the tortured dynamics of settlement, movement, and identity.
    James Wood, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2025
  • These are margin gains, not an identity change.
    Jenny Catlin, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Besides religion, what are other possible reasons a person might have executed a forgery?
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
  • For more than 40 years, the person responsible for the brutal rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl on Long Island has eluded capture.
    Lauren del Valle, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • For Mimi Pond, the desire to do a book about the Mitford sisters – six larger-than-life British eccentrics (and one brother) who created a stir in both British and American culture – was obvious.
    Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 5 Sep. 2025
  • For decades, sovereign citizens largely flew under the radar in Australia as relatively harmless eccentrics with a special interest in conspiracy theories.
    Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Character.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/character. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

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