character

American  

[kar-ik-ter] / ˈkær ɪk tər /

noun

1. the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing.

2. one such feature or trait; characteristic.

3. moral or ethical quality.

   a man of fine, honorable character.

4. qualities of honesty, courage, or the like; integrity.

   It takes character to face up to a bully.

5. reputation.

   a stain on one's character.

   Synonyms:

   repute, name

6. good repute.

7. an account of the qualities or peculiarities of a person or thing.

8. a person, especially with reference to behavior or personality.

   a suspicious character.

9. Informal. an odd, eccentric, or unusual person.

10. a person represented in a drama, story, etc.

11. a part or role, as in a play or film.

12. a symbol as used in a writing system, as a letter of the alphabet.

13. the symbols of a writing system collectively.

14. a significant visual mark or symbol.

    Synonyms:

    sign

15. status or capacity.

    the character of a justice of the peace.

16. a written statement from an employer concerning the qualities of a former employee.

17. Literature. (especially in 17th- and 18th-century England) a formal character sketch or descriptive analysis of a particular human virtue or vice as represented in a person or type.

18. Genetics. any trait, function, structure, or substance of an organism resulting from the effect of one or more genes as modified by the environment.

19. Computers.

    1. any symbol, as a number, letter, punctuation mark, etc., that represents data and that, when encoded, is usable by a machine.

    2. one of a set of basic symbols that singly or in a series of two or more represents data and, when encoded, is usable in a computer.

20. a style of writing or printing.

21. Roman Catholic Theology. the ineffaceable imprint received on the soul through the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and ordination.

22. (formerly) a cipher or cipher message.

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adjective

1. Theater.

   1. (of a part or role) representing a personality type, especially by emphasizing distinctive traits, as language, mannerisms, physical makeup, etc.

   2. (of an actor or actress) acting or specializing in such roles.

verb (used with object)

Archaic.

1. to portray; describe.

2. to engrave; inscribe.

idioms

1. out of character,

   1. out of harmony with one's personal character or disposition.

      Her remarks were out of character.

   2. away from the role or personality assumed in a performance.

      The actor stepped out of character.

2. in character,

   1. in harmony with one's personal character or disposition.

      Such behavior is not in character for him.

   2. in accordance with the role or personality assumed in a performance.

      an actor in character.

character British  

/ ˈkærɪktə /

noun

1. the combination of traits and qualities distinguishing the individual nature of a person or thing

2. one such distinguishing quality; characteristic

3. moral force; integrity

   a man of character

4. 1. reputation, esp a good reputation

   2. ( as modifier )

      character assassination

5. a summary or account of a person's qualities and achievements; testimonial

   my last employer gave me a good character

6. capacity, position, or status

   he spoke in the character of a friend rather than a father

7. a person represented in a play, film, story, etc; role

8. an outstanding person

   one of the great characters of the century

9. informal an odd, eccentric, or unusual person

   he's quite a character

10. an informal word for person

    a shady character

11. a symbol used in a writing system, such as a letter of the alphabet

12. Also called: sort.  printing any single letter, numeral, punctuation mark, or symbol cast as a type

13. computing any letter, numeral, etc, which is a unit of information and can be represented uniquely by a binary pattern

14. a style of writing or printing

15. genetics any structure, function, attribute, etc, in an organism, which may or may not be determined by a gene or group of genes

16. a short prose sketch of a distinctive type of person, usually representing a vice or virtue

17. typical of the apparent character of a person or thing

18. not typical of the apparent character of a person or thing

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verb

1. to write, print, inscribe, or engrave

2. rare to portray or represent

character Scientific  

/ kăr′ək-tər /

1. Genetics A structure, function, or attribute determined by a gene or a group of genes.

2. Computer Science A symbol, such as a letter, number, or punctuation mark, that occupies one byte of memory.

3. Computer Science See more at ASCII

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character Cultural  

1. A person in a literary work. For example, Ebenezer Scrooge is a character in A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens.

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character More Idioms  

1. see in character; out of character.

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Usage

What does character mean? A character is a person in a story, as in Princess Leia is my favorite Star Wars character. A character is someone who appears in a story, whether the story is fiction or nonfiction. It can also be used to refer to a role in a play or film that an actor plays, as in Tony’s character in the play doesn’t have any lines, but he’s still important to the plot. Character is also the collection of features and traits that make a person’s image and personality, as in Ishir’s character was one of honesty and friendship. If someone seems characterless, they don’t have traits that stand out, although everyone has personality traits. Character can also refer to a person’s moral or ethical quality. If you are a person of good character, you are trustworthy and reliable. Related to that, if you have character, you are honest and courageous or have integrity. Additionally, a character is a specific symbol or image that is used in writing messages. The words you are reading are written in letters, or characters, that make up the Latin alphabet. Punctuation marks and numerals (1, IX) are also characters. They are called symbols as well. Example: I can’t believe that my favorite character died in the show last night.

Related Words

Character, individuality, personality refer to the sum of the characteristics possessed by a person. Character refers especially to moral qualities, ethical standards, principles, and the like: a man of sterling character. Individuality refers to the distinctive qualities that make one recognizable as a person differentiated from others: a woman of strong individuality. Personality refers particularly to the combination of outer and inner characteristics that determine the impression that a person makes upon others: a child of vivid or pleasing personality. See reputation.

Other Word Forms

• characterful adjective
• characterless adjective
• uncharactered adjective

Etymology

Origin of character

First recorded in 1275–1325; from Latin, from Greek charaktḗr “graving tool, mark from an engraving tool,” equivalent to charak- (base of charáttein “to engrave”) + -tēr, agent suffix

Explanation

When Martin Luther King, Jr. said he looked forward to the day when all Americans would be judged solely "by the content of their character," he was talking about a person's essential qualities. "Just because you are a character doesn't mean you have character," a guy called The Wolf advises a young woman named Raquel in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. The line illustrates three different senses of the word, which can mean "moral strength or reputation" (what Raquel lacks), "a person in a work of fiction" (what The Wolf and Raquel literally are), or, by extension, "a colorful personality" (what Raquel has). A fourth usage is "the distinctive nature of a person or thing," a meaning reflected in the word's origins. In Greek, a kharaktēr was a stamping tool, used to give something a distinctive mark.

Example Sentences

“There is no character I’ve ever done that I feel as close to,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

In most movies in which a character is driven by revenge, the viewer is invited to share in that primal emotion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

And here, your character is trying to build a more stable life but finds herself in the midst of a different type of grief over the life that could have been for her daughter.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

"Sometimes they're after a low-cost hotel with decent Wi-Fi. But for other trips they want somewhere with character and stories to tell."

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Dr. No, the fictional character, seems more real to us than the very real Kempton Bunton.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

Related Words

• aspect
• cast
• humor
• kind
• nature
• personality
• quality
• sense
• spirit
• style
• tone
• type