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Wiktionary

characterize

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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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.

Pronunciation

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Verb

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characterize (third-person singular simple present characterizes, present participle characterizing, simple past and past participle characterized)

  1. (transitive) To depict someone or something a particular way (often negative).
    • 2019 July 15, Greg Afinogenov, “The Jewish Case for Open Borders”, in Jewish Currents‎[1], number Summer 2019:
      [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.
  2. (transitive) To be typical of.
    • 1980, Robert M. Jones, editor, Walls and Ceilings, Time-Life Books, →ISBN, page 82:
      There is no way to avoid the slight cups, crooks, bows and twists that characterize wood.
  3. (transitive) To determine the characteristics of.
    • 1998, Brian Voigt, “Glossary of Coastal Terminology”, in Department of Ecology Publication No. 98-105‎[2]:
      This glossary includes terminology used in coastal science, engineering, geology, management, nearshore oceanography and the technologies that characterize, measure, describe or quantify the physical properties, processes and changes of the coastal zone.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Further reading

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