Synonyms

characterize

American

[kar-ik-tuh-rahyz] / ˈkær ɪk təˌraɪz /

especially British, characterise

verb (used with object)

characterized, characterizing

to mark or distinguish as a characteristic; be a characteristic of.

Rich metaphors characterize his poetry.
to describe the character or individual quality of.

He characterized her in a few well-chosen words.
to attribute character to.

to characterize him as a coward.

characterize British

/ ˈkærɪktəˌraɪz /

verb

to be a characteristic of

loneliness characterized the place
to distinguish or mark as a characteristic
to describe or portray the character of

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

characterizable adjective
characterizer noun
mischaracterize verb (used with object)
recharacterize verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of characterize

First recorded in 1585–95; from Medieval Latin charactērizāre, from Greek charaktērízein; character, -ize

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