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
That’s in sharp contrast to the highs in the 50s and 60s that characterized the first half of May.
—
Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 15 May 2026
The company temporarily halted the work and offered to repair the road at no cost to the county, characterizing the work as a gift.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
And there’s now a 96% chance that the climate pattern — characterized by warmer ocean waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific — will be in force this winter, the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center said Thursday.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Wilson’s approach to public life clearly has an element of what professional wrestlers call kayfabe—the winking, performative trollishness that now characterizes the online right.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for characterize
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Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 15 May 2026
The company temporarily halted the work and offered to repair the road at no cost to the county, characterizing the work as a gift.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
And there’s now a 96% chance that the climate pattern — characterized by warmer ocean waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific — will be in force this winter, the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center said Thursday.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Wilson’s approach to public life clearly has an element of what professional wrestlers call kayfabe—the winking, performative trollishness that now characterizes the online right.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 14 May 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 20 May. 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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