characterize
verb
char·ac·ter·ize
ˈker-ik-tə-ˌrīz 
ˈka-rik-
characterized; characterizing
1
: to describe the character (see character entry 1 sense 1a) or quality of
characterizes him as ambitious
2
: to be a characteristic of : distinguish
an era characterized by greed
Examples of characterize in a Sentence
How would you characterize the situation?
I would characterize this as a positive change for our company.
She had difficulty characterizing their relationship.
His personality is hard to characterize.
Farms and large flat fields characterize most of the area.
the beliefs that characterized Europe in the 15th century
Recent Examples on the Web
To characterize the new mode, Kyle Uckert, SHERLOC’s deputy principal investigator at NASA’s JPL, and his colleagues collected spectra from spare flight optics in their own lab.
—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
4 July 2026
The standoff forces the platform to weigh compliance against a potentially expanding pattern of government control over social media — a tension that has also characterized India’s years-long friction with X over content-takedown orders.
—
Anisha Sircar,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
The early American songs and tunes were characterized by their simplicity and portability.
—
Ted Olson,
The Conversation,
2 July 2026
The Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness programs faced a shaky timeline, characterized by persistent legal roadblocks, which culminated in a 2023 Supreme Court defeat.
—
Paxton Honerkamp,
CNBC,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for characterize
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Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
4 July 2026
The standoff forces the platform to weigh compliance against a potentially expanding pattern of government control over social media — a tension that has also characterized India’s years-long friction with X over content-takedown orders.
—
Anisha Sircar,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
The early American songs and tunes were characterized by their simplicity and portability.
—
Ted Olson,
The Conversation,
2 July 2026
The Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness programs faced a shaky timeline, characterized by persistent legal roadblocks, which culminated in a 2023 Supreme Court defeat.
—
Paxton Honerkamp,
CNBC,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for characterize
Cite this Entry
“Characterize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/characterize. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
characterize
verb
char·ac·ter·ize
ˈkar-ik-tə-ˌrīz
characterized; characterizing
1
: to point out the character of an individual or group : describe
characterize him as ambitious
2
: to be characteristic of
tragic endings characterized her stories
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