Definition of characterizenext
1
as in to describe
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group how would you characterize the mission of this environmental organization?

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to distinguish
to be an important feature of an unsightly rash characterizes chicken pox

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of characterize The trade imbalances that have come to characterize the global economy are fundamentally untenable. Michael Pettis, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026 However, greedy jobs are mostly characterized by the unpredictability of when individuals are required to work. Kim Elsesser, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Sesay characterized the persona as an alter ego — a provocative internet character that Andrew uses to attract attention, entertain an audience and make money. Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026 El Niño events are characterized by hotter than average sea surface temperatures in the equatorial tropical Pacific Ocean, along with corresponding shifts in the atmospheric circulation throughout that region. Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for characterize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characterize
Verb
  • Anton, whose gaze at the couple can only be described as wistful.
    Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • For the first time, Fed officials described the demand generated by AI infrastructure buildouts as something that could continue to drive up prices for tech products and electricity—thereby pushing up inflation.
    , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The researchers suspect that others were created by AI that either hallucinated or, just like the AI agents browsing their file, couldn’t distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate instructions.
    Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The debate centers on what set of images and chemical measurements will best help distinguish how the polygons formed.
    Ashwin R. Vasavada, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • By this reasoning, federal agencies must be allowed to complete rulemaking before judges intervene, and challenges to the order are portrayed as speculative attempts to stop reforms that could be crafted within constitutional limits.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Following his success on M*A*S*H, Alda continued playing a TV doctor on ER in 1999 and six episodes of The Big C, as well as portraying a psychiatrist on Ray Donovan.
    Rachel Flynn, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Made for pretty much every texture, the airy foam gives fine-to-medium hair body without weighing it down, while helping define and smooth thicker waves and curls without sacrificing movement.
    Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Drone warfare has become a defining feature in the country's war, with both sides carrying out strikes.
    ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Characterize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characterize. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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