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Synonyms

characterized

American  
[kar-ik-tuh-rahyzd] / ˈkær ɪk təˌraɪzd /
especially British, characterised

adjective

  1. having been described or distinguished.

    Further identification is possible by comparing the unknown organism with a characterized organism.

verb

  1. the simple past tense and past participle of characterize.

Other Word Forms

  • noncharacterized adjective
  • uncharacterized adjective
  • well-characterized adjective

Etymology

Origin of characterized

characterize ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Meme stocks are typically characterized by high trading volumes and price volatility, often driven by social-media trends.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

He characterized newly installed leaders as an improvement over their predecessors.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

Some cases involved vanishing bile duct syndrome, a liver condition characterized by the progressive destruction of bile ducts in the liver, the agency said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

IPF is a chronic, progressive lung disease characterized by irreversible scarring and stiffening of lung tissue.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

Lice carried an infectious disease called trench fever, characterized by chills and high fever, which put thousands of men out of action.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.