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to characterize

to characterize

256 3.8
To describe the main qualities of a person or thing
  • verb
  • /ˈkɛrɪktəˌraɪz/
translation icon : caracterizar
  • How would you characterize your friendship?
  • best characterize
  • often characterize
  • characterize the environment

So one of the ways we characterize ourselves is as intelligent.

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Examples

  • At the most basic level, a safe school could be characterized as one without physical violence.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Civilization is a way of life characterized by the growth of cities.

  • Why do we want to characterize that process?

  • Then there is what I would characterize as the Christian solution.

  • Poor communication between agencies has characterized many headline cases in the past.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Almost everyone who had dealt with Kemble characterized him as a difficult, often angry man.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • A productive and inspiring middle school music room is characterized by an underlying, consistent layer of respect.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The knowledge of this 21st-century community is characterized by being an intangible asset that has no physical form.

    Academic text (2011)
  • However, neglect is often characterized by a cumulative pattern of harm over time.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The artist aims to characterize the beauty of nature in her paintings.

Synonyms

to describe
vsto characterize
1.0

To use words to show what a person or thing is like

highlights typical or distinctive qualities rather than any general account
to profile
vsto characterize
68 4.8

To write a full description of someone's life or work

focuses on typical or distinctive features rather than achievement detail
to typify
vsto characterize
12 5.8

Show the common features of a group or type

emphasizes describing distinctive features rather than acting as an example

How Precise

to define
878 1.0
to pinpoint
123 4.0
to characterize
256 3.8
to describe
1.0
to mention
1.0

Surface Forms

characterize infinitive
characterized past participle
characterizing present participle
characterizes third person singular

Morphology

characterize = character (transparent) = character + ize

Formed by the productive verb-forming suffix '-ize' added to the noun 'character', yielding 'to describe or ascribe characteristics', which is straightforward for learners.

Etymology

The word characterize comes from character, which goes back to the Greek charakter meaning 'stamp' or 'mark'. Imagine a stamp leaving a clear mark; to characterize something is to describe the marks or usual features that show what it is.