Meanings
plural characterizations · alternative characterisation
- The act or process of characterizing.
Near-synonyms: portrayal, representation; definition
2 more examples
It was while he was performing the duties of the store that he acquired the soubriquet "Honest Abe"--a characterization that he never dishonored, and an abbreviation that he never outgrew.
1866, Josiah Gilbert Holland, The Life of Abraham LincolnThe art of characterization exhibited by the author fascinates us; we gaze and examine as if we were face to face with real personages, whose passions are laid bare, whose life is traced, whose countenance is portrayed with miraculousness, distinctness and verisimilitude.
1901, Epiphanius Wilson, Introduction to the Dramas of BalzacSynonyms: portrayal, representation, definition
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe act or process of characterizing.
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe act of describing distinctive characteristics or essential features
nounacting the part of a character on stage; dramatically representing the character by speech and action and gesture
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekχαράσσω (kharássō)
- Ancient Greekχαρακτήρ (kharaktḗr)
- Ancient Greekχᾰρακτηρίζω (khăraktērízō)
- Medieval Latincharactērizō
- Englishcharacterize
- Englishcharacterization
From characterize + -ation.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἠθοποιία
- ἠθοποιία (ēthopoiía)act or process of characterizing
Bulgarian характеризиране
- характеризиране (harakterizirane)act or process of characterizing
Catalan caracterització
- caracteritzacióact or process of characterizing
Czech charakterizace
- charakterizaceact or process of characterizing
Dutch karakterisering
- karakteriseringact or process of characterizing
Finnish luonnehtiminen, luonnehdinta
- luonnehtiminenact or process of characterizing
- luonnehdintaact or process of characterizing
French caractérisation
- caractérisationact or process of characterizing
German Charakterisierung
- Charakterisierungact or process of characterizing
Greek χαρακτηρισμός
- χαρακτηρισμός (charaktirismós)act or process of characterizing
Hungarian karakterizáció
- karakterizációact or process of characterizing
Indonesian penokohan
- penokohanact or process of characterizing
Irish carachtracht
- carachtrachtact or process of characterizing
Italian caratterizzazione
- caratterizzazioneact or process of characterizing
Japanese 特徴づけ
- 特徴づけact or process of characterizing
Latvian raksturošana, raksturojums
- raksturošanaact or process of characterizing
- raksturojumsact or process of characterizing
Malay perwatakan
- perwatakanact or process of characterizing
Portuguese caracterização, caraterização
- caracterizaçãoact or process of characterizing
- caraterizaçãoact or process of characterizing
Romanian caracterizare
- caracterizareact or process of characterizing
Russian характери́стика, характеризация
- характери́стика (xarakterístika)act or process of characterizing
- характеризация (xarakterizácija)act or process of characterizing
Slovak charakterizácia
- charakterizáciaact or process of characterizing
Spanish caracterización
- caracterizaciónact or process of characterizing
Swedish karakteristik, karakterisering
- karakteristikact or process of characterizing
- karakteriseringact or process of characterizing
Ukrainian характериза́ція
- характериза́ція (xarakteryzácija)act or process of characterizing
Welsh cymeriadaeth, nodweddiad
- cymeriadaethact or process of characterizing
- nodweddiadact or process of characterizing
Cite this entry
characterization. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/characterization
“characterization.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/characterization. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “characterization,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/characterization.
Source: characterization on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.