Dictionary

characteristically en · ADV

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˌkɛɹɪktəˈɹɪstɪkli/ (Canada, General-American)
• /ˌkɛɹəktəˈɹɪstɪkli/ (Canada, General-American)

Etymology

Etymology tree Ancient Greek χαράσσω (kharássō) Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Hellenic *-tḗr Ancient Greek -τήρ (-tḗr) Ancient Greek χαρακτήρ (kharaktḗr) Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íd͏̌d͏̌ō Ancient Greek -ίζω (-ízō) Ancient Greek χαρακτηρίζω (kharaktērízō) Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Hellenic *-tis Ancient Greek -τῐς (-tĭs) Ancient Greek -σῐς (-sĭs) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Hellenic *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) ? Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Hellenic *-tós Ancient Greek -τος (-tos) ▲ Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) ? Ancient Greek -τικός (-tikós) Ancient Greek χᾰρᾰκτηριστῐκός (khărăktēristĭkós)der. English characteristic Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisbor. Old French -albor. ▲ Latin -ālis Old French -elbor. ▲ Latin -ālisbor. Middle English -al Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly Middle English -ally English -ally English characteristically From characteristic + -ally.

Meanings

1. In a usual or expected way; in characteristic manner.
   • The threat the most radical of them pose is evidently far greater at home than abroad: in one characteristically slick and chilling Isis video – entitled “a message to the Jordanian tyrant” – a smiling, long-haired young man in black pats the explosive belt round his waist as he burns his passport and his fellow fighters praise the memory of Zarqawi, who was killed in Iraq in 2006. 2014 November 27, Ian Black, “Courts kept busy as Jordan works to crush support for Isis”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 05 Mar 2016:
   • There, characteristically, he refused to be carried on a stretcher, saying he was too heavy for nurses. He walked in with their support. 2022 January 12, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 948, page 43:
   • Valentine’s Day means different things for different people. For Homer, it means forking over a hundred dollars for a dusty box of chocolates at the Kwik-E-Mart after characteristically forgetting the holiday yet again. For Ned, it’s another opportunity to prove his love for his wife. Most germane to the episode, for Lisa, Valentine’s Day means being the only person in her entire class to give Ralph a Valentine after noticing him looking crestfallen and alone at his desk. 2012 August 5, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “I Love Lisa” (season 4, episode 15; originally aired 02/11/1993)”, in A.V. Club, archived from the original on 29 Mar 2013:

Forms

Relateds

characteristic

Translations (7)

fi tyypillisesti (in a usual or expected way) · ca característicament (in a usual or expected way) · fr typiquement (in a usual or expected way) · pl charakterystycznie (in a usual or expected way) · es característicamente (in a usual or expected way) · gl caracteristicamente (in a usual or expected way) · fr caractéristiquement (in a usual or expected way)