Meanings
present singular third person characterizes · participle present characterizing · participle past characterized · past characterized · alternative characterise
- transitiveTo 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.
2019 July 15, Greg Afinogenov, “The Jewish Case for Open Borders”, in Jewish Currents, number Summer 2019 - transitiveTo be typical of.
There is no way to avoid the slight cups, crooks, bows and twists that characterize wood.
1980, Robert M. Jones, editor, Walls and Ceilings, Time-Life Books, →ISBN, page 82 - transitiveTo determine the characteristics of.
The second level of reading we will call Inspectional Reading. It is characterized by its special emphasis on time.
1972, Mortimer J. Adler, Charles Van Doren, How to Read a Book, Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, →LCCN, page 181 more example
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.
1998, Brian Voigt, “Glossary of Coastal Terminology”, in Department of Ecology Publication No. 98-105
Synonyms & antonyms
verbdescribe or portray the character or the qualities or peculiarities of
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekχαράσσω (kharássō)
- Ancient Greekχαρακτήρ (kharaktḗr)
- Ancient Greekχᾰρακτηρίζω (khăraktērízō)
- Medieval Latincharactērizō
- Englishcharacterize
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.
More words from Medieval Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian характеризирам, характеризирам
- характеризирам (harakteriziram)to depict someone or something a particular way
- характеризирам (harakteriziram)to determine the characteristics of
Catalan caracteritzar, caracteritzar
- caracteritzarto depict someone or something a particular way
- caracteritzarto determine the characteristics of
Chinese Mandarin 塑造
- 塑造 (sùzào)to depict someone or something a particular way
Czech charakterizovat
- charakterizovatto determine the characteristics of
Dutch karakteriseren, karakteriseren
- karakteriserento depict someone or something a particular way
- karakteriserento be typical of
Esperanto karakterizi
- karakterizito determine the characteristics of
Estonian iseloomustama, iseloomustama
- iseloomustamato depict someone or something a particular way
- iseloomustamato be typical of
Finnish luonnehtia, karakterisoida
- luonnehtiato depict someone or something a particular way
- karakterisoidato depict someone or something a particular way
- ilmentääto be typical of
- karakterisoidato be typical of
- tunnistaato determine the characteristics of
- määrittääto determine the characteristics of
French caractériser, dépeindre
- caractériserto depict someone or something a particular way
- dépeindreto depict someone or something a particular way
- caractériserto be typical of
- définirto be typical of
- caractériserto determine the characteristics of
German charakterisieren, bezeichnen
- charakterisierento depict someone or something a particular way
- bezeichnento be typical of
- ausmachento be typical of
- charakterisierento determine the characteristics of
Greek χαρακτηρίζω
- χαρακτηρίζω (charaktirízo)to be typical of
Irish tréithrigh, tréithrigh
- tréithrighto depict someone or something a particular way
- tréithrighto determine the characteristics of
Italian caratterizzare
- caratterizzareto determine the characteristics of
Polish charakteryzować, barwić
- charakteryzowaćto depict someone or something a particular way
- barwićto depict someone or something a particular way
Portuguese caracterizar, caraterizar
- caracterizarto depict someone or something a particular way
- caraterizarto depict someone or something a particular way
- caracterizarto determine the characteristics of
- caraterizarto determine the characteristics of
Romanian caracteriza, caracteriza
- caracterizato depict someone or something a particular way
- caracterizato be typical of
- definito be typical of
- caracterizato determine the characteristics of
Russian характеризова́ть, охарактеризова́ть
- характеризова́ть (xarakterizovátʹ)to depict someone or something a particular way
- охарактеризова́ть (oxarakterizovátʹ)to depict someone or something a particular way
Scottish Gaelic comharraich, comharraich
- comharraichto depict someone or something a particular way
- comharraichto determine the characteristics of
Spanish caracterizar, caracterizar
- caracterizarto depict someone or something a particular way
- caracterizarto determine the characteristics of
Swedish karaktärisera, prägla
- karaktäriserato determine the characteristics of
- präglato determine the characteristics of
- kännetecknato determine the characteristics of
Turkish karakterize etmek, karakterize etmek
- karakterize etmekto depict someone or something a particular way
- karakterize etmekto determine the characteristics of
Ukrainian характеризува́ти, схарактеризува́ти
- характеризува́ти (xarakteryzuváty)to depict someone or something a particular way
- схарактеризува́ти (sxarakteryzuváty)to depict someone or something a particular way
- охарактеризува́ти (oxarakteryzuváty)to depict someone or something a particular way
Welsh nodweddu, nodweddu
- nodwedduto depict someone or something a particular way
- nodwedduto determine the characteristics of
Cite this entry
characterize. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/characterize
“characterize.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/characterize. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “characterize,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/characterize.
Source: characterize on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.