characterize

  • 1Characterize — Char ac*ter*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Characterized}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Characterizing}.] [LL. characterizare, Gr. ?: cf. F. charact[ e]riser.] 1. To make distinct and recognizable by peculiar marks or traits; to make with distinctive features.… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2characterize — characterize, distinguish, mark, qualify are comparable when they mean to be a peculiar or significant quality or feature of something. Characterize stresses that quality or feature (or those qualities or features) which stands out and identifies …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 3characterize — I verb classify, construe, delineate, depict, descend to particulars, describe, designare, detail, diagram, differentiate, distinguish, draw, elucidate, exemplify, express precisely, formalize, give an account of, give precise meaning to, give… …

    Law dictionary

  • 4characterize — (v.) 1590s, to engrave, write, formed in English or else from M.L. characterizare, from Gk. kharakterizein to designate by a characteristic mark, from kharakter (see CHARACTER (Cf. character)). Meaning to describe the qualities of is recorded… …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 5characterize — (Amer.) char·ac·ter·ize || kærÉ™ktÉ™raɪz v. describe; be a characteristic of (also characterise) …

    English contemporary dictionary

  • 6characterize — [v] typify, distinguish belong to, brand, button down*, constitute, define, delineate, describe, designate, differentiate, discriminate, feature, identify, indicate, individualize, individuate, inform, make up, mark, outline, peculiarize, peg,… …

    New thesaurus

  • 7characterize — (also characterise) ► VERB 1) describe the distinctive character of. 2) (of a feature or quality) be characteristic of. DERIVATIVES characterization noun …

    English terms dictionary

  • 8characterize — [kar′ək tər īz΄, kar′iktər īz΄] vt. characterized, characterizing [ML characterizare < Gr charaktērizein: see CHARACTER] 1. to describe or portray the particular qualities, features, or traits of 2. to be the distinctive character of;… …

    English World dictionary

  • 9characterize */*/ — UK [ˈkærɪktəraɪz] / US [ˈkerəktəˌraɪz] verb [transitive] Word forms characterize : present tense I/you/we/they characterize he/she/it characterizes present participle characterizing past tense characterized past participle characterized 1) to be… …

    English dictionary

  • 10characterize — also ise BrE verb (T) 1 to be typical of a person, place, or thing: Bright, vibrant colours characterize his paintings. 2 to describe the character of someone or something in a particular way; portray: characterize sb as sth: I would characterize …

    Longman dictionary of contemporary English