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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.

The researchers characterized the device as needed to help develop marine resources.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

He characterized AI as a “seminal shift” and one of the fastest-moving technologies in history.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

But in a recent conversation I had with Lawrence, his co-creator Matt Tarses, and Carell before the debut of “Rooster,” Lawrence characterized it simply.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026

With the obsessive attention to detail that characterized his brand of dogged genius, Rosellini purged his life of all but the most primitive tools, which he fashioned from native materials with his own hands.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

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.