Dictionary

characterize en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈkæɹəktəɹaɪz/ (General-American)
• /ˈkæɹəktəɹaɪz/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈkɛɹəktəɹaɪz/ (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 χᾰρακτηρίζω (khăraktērízō)der. Medieval Latin charactērizōder. English characterize 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.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To 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:
2. (transitive) To 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:
3. (transitive) To 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 18:
   • 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:

Forms

Deriveds

characterization · characterizable · characterizability · characterizer · undercharacterize · immunocharacterize · hypercharacterize · subcharacterize · recharacterize · mischaracterize

Translations (64)

io distingar (to determine the characteristics of) · bg характеризирам (to depict someone or something a particular way) · ru характеризова́ть (to depict someone or something a particular way) · ro caracteriza (to determine the characteristics of) · fi tunnistaa (to determine the characteristics of) · nl karakteriseren (to depict someone or something a particular way) · fr caractériser (to determine the characteristics of) · de bezeichnen (to be typical of) · ro caracteriza (to depict someone or something a particular way) · it caratterizzare (to determine the characteristics of) · pt caraterizar (to determine the characteristics of) · es caracterizar (to depict someone or something a particular way) · pl barwić (to depict someone or something a particular way) · es caracterizar (to determine the characteristics of) · ro defini (to be typical of) · cs charakterizovat (to determine the characteristics of) · pt caracterizar (to depict someone or something a particular way) · hy բնորոշել (to depict someone or something a particular way) · cy nodweddu (to determine the characteristics of) · eo karakterizi (to determine the characteristics of) · sv karaktärisera (to determine the characteristics of) · et iseloomustama (to be typical of) · cmn 塑造 (to depict someone or something a particular way) · de ausmachen (to be typical of) · tr karakterize etmek (to depict someone or something a particular way) · pl charakteryzować (to depict someone or something a particular way) · fi luonnehtia (to depict someone or something a particular way) · pt caraterizar (to depict someone or something a particular way) · gl caracterizar (to determine the characteristics of) · tr karakterize etmek (to determine the characteristics of) · fi karakterisoida (to be typical of) · fr dépeindre (to depict someone or something a particular way) · sv prägla (to determine the characteristics of) · gd comharraich (to depict someone or something a particular way) · ga tréithrigh (to depict someone or something a particular way) · nl karakteriseren (to be typical of) · fi ilmentää (to be typical of) · cy nodweddu (to depict someone or something a particular way) · ro caracteriza (to be typical of) · gd comharraich (to determine the characteristics of) · fr caractériser (to be typical of) · bg характеризирам (to determine the characteristics of) · gl caracterizar (to depict someone or something a particular way) · uk схарактеризува́ти (to depict someone or something a particular way) · hy բնորոշել (to determine the characteristics of) · uk охарактеризува́ти (to depict someone or something a particular way) · sv känneteckna (to determine the characteristics of) · el χαρακτηρίζω (to be typical of) · ca caracteritzar (to determine the characteristics of) · ru охарактеризова́ть (to depict someone or something a particular way) · de charakterisieren (to depict someone or something a particular way) · uk характеризува́ти (to depict someone or something a particular way) · de charakterisieren (to determine the characteristics of) · fi karakterisoida (to depict someone or something a particular way) · fi määrittää (to determine the characteristics of) · fr définir (to be typical of) · be характарызава́ць (to depict someone or something a particular way) · et iseloomustama (to depict someone or something a particular way) · ga tréithrigh (to determine the characteristics of) · ast carauterizar (to depict someone or something a particular way) · be ахарактарызава́ць (to depict someone or something a particular way) · ca caracteritzar (to depict someone or something a particular way) · fr caractériser (to depict someone or something a particular way) · pt caracterizar (to determine the characteristics of)