characterize
English · Thesaurus
AI In plain words
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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
characterize
- /ˈkæɹəktəɹaɪz/ UK
- /ˈkɛɹəktəɹaɪz/ US
- /ˈkæɹəktəɹaɪz/ US
Where it comes from
From Medieval Latin charactērizō, from Ancient Greek χαρακτηρίζω (kharaktērízō, “to designate by a characteristic mark”), from χαρακτήρ (kharaktḗr, “a mark, character”). By surface analysis, character + -ize.
verb characterizes · characterizing · characterized · characterise
- To depict someone or something a particular way (often negative). [Stephen] Miller’s uncle, a neuroscientist, has been welcomed onto the public stage for his denunciations of his nephew’s immigration policies, which the elder Miller has characterized as hypocritical: the Millers’ not-so-distant Jewish ancestors were, of course, immigrants themselves.
- To be typical of. There is no way to avoid the slight cups, crooks, bows and twists that characterize wood.
- To determine the characteristics of. The second level of reading we will call Inspectional Reading. It is characterized by its special emphasis on time.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: qualify, characterization, typify, defining, describe, identify, embody, define, designate, feature, inform, differentiate, distinguish, discriminate, incorporate, characterisation
Translations
Every language
verb to depict someone or something a particular way
| Español | caracterizar |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 塑造 sùzào |
| Português | caracterizar, caraterizar |
| Français | caractériser, dépeindre |
| Deutsch | charakterisieren |
| Română | caracteriza |
| Русский | характеризова́ть xarakterizovátʹ, охарактеризова́ть oxarakterizovátʹ |
verb to be typical of
| Français | caractériser, définir |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | bezeichnen, ausmachen |
| Ελληνικά | χαρακτηρίζω charaktirízo |
| Română | caracteriza, defini |
verb to determine the characteristics of
| Español | caracterizar |
|---|---|
| Português | caracterizar, caraterizar |
| Français | caractériser |
| Deutsch | charakterisieren |
| Italiano | caratterizzare |
| Română | caracteriza |
Talk about this word "characterize." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/characterize. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. characterize. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/characterize "characterize." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/characterize.Cite this
@misc{characterize_2026,
title = {characterize},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/characterize},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
