characters 1 of 2

plural of character
1
as in symbols
a written or printed mark that is meant to convey information to the reader the pictorial characters of the ancient Egyptians had long been a mystery

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Relevance
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4
5
as in identities
the set of qualities that make a person different from other people she regards each of her children as having a distinctive character that should be valued for what it is

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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characters

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of character
as in characterizes
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group formerly charactered as "the dark ages," that period of history may not have been quite so benighted as once thought

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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 characters
Noun
The entire ensemble of cast led by Manoj, Divya, and Boman bring an incredible depth to their characters. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026 The diversity of the core ensemble—a far cry from Hannah Horvath’s all-white friend group—is rarely remarked upon by the characters, except as part of a bit. Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026 The following conversation touches on Rock's latest project and process, writing young characters and classifying his own work into a genre. Zachary Fletcher, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 In the cold open of the first-season finale, the characters go through their backlog of snail mail, rushing through a series of updates on the show’s lingering story lines in imitation of a clip-show episode. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026 But that show mostly reserved its highest stakes for characters who didn't have an appointment with the Original Trilogy. Richard Edwards, Space.com, 27 Aug. 2026 Netflix has created an Academy Award-winning global phenomenon with KPop Demon Hunters that has inspired fans around the world with its powerful music, storytelling, and characters. Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026 That strategy will be on display in February, when ABC and ESPN carry the Super Bowl from Los Angeles, with lead-up coverage likely to incorporate Disney characters and the company’s Southern California theme park. Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Verb
Jon Favreau tells Entertainment Weekly why Star Wars characters Ahsoka Tano and Thrawn don't make an appearance in The Mandalorian and Grogu. Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026 What would Six Flags look like without its most valuable properties like Looney Tunes and, especially, its DC Comics characters Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman? Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025 KPop Demon Hunters characters Derpy Tiger and Sussie were also featured. Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 28 Nov. 2025 Netflix characters Derpy Tiger and Sussie from KPop Demon Hunters will also join the lineup. Daniel Orton, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characters
Noun
  • McDonald’s is one of many potent symbols of Americana that’s proliferating in China.
    John Tamny, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Then, in a famous 1937 paper, the mathematician Alan Turing devised a model based on hypothetical machines that could read and write symbols printed on an infinite tape according to a set of simple rules.
    Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • No documentarian has a better eye for intriguing oddballs than Errol Morris, who built his feature film career on drawing them out in conversation, from pet-cemetery owners in Gates of Heaven to small-town eccentrics in Vernon, Florida.
    Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Dippold has populated the show with lovable eccentrics played by great character actors—Dale Dickey, Jeff Hiller, Tim Baltz.
    Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 18 June 2026
Noun
  • Your collaborations not only improve your leadership capability but also help your team to function and improve their problem-solver and collaborator reputations.
    Dr. Cynthia J. Young, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Companies have employees to attract, communities to operate in, customers to earn, stakeholders to serve, reputations to protect.
    Scott M. Curran, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Directly transferring the original walking policy failed because the second robot had different body proportions, joint configurations, and motor characteristics.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
  • According to the team, each of those characteristics plays out similarly in real fish of various sizes across different ecological niches.
    Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Kathy Hilton and Rocky producer Irwin Winkler are shareholders, as are a number of billionaires from overseas who obscure their identities through LLCs.
    Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 25 Aug. 2026
  • But the association will not advertise a destination until the tribe or business approves its description – a small reversal of the old roadside economy, in which outsiders invented Native identities for signs and souvenirs.
    Harry Bruinius, Christian Science Monitor, 24 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The chat show will give fans even more action, bringing them closer to the personalities, dynamics and relationships at the heart of the series.
    Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
  • As fans mourn Dolly Parton, two longtime Philadelphia radio personalities are remembering the country music icon for an influence that stretched far beyond her songs.
    Eva Andersen, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Another 13 people were wounded on downtown Sacramento’s K Street and 10th Street, in what became the deadliest mass shooting in the city’s history.
    Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 19 June 2026
  • Organizers say more than 125,000 people are expected throughout the event, bringing in millions of dollars for the local economy.
    Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • The research characterizes the industry as roughly two years behind travelers in adoption.
    Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Pragmatism characterizes Taiwan’s approach to mainland China.
    Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

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

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