uncharacteristic
adjective
un·char·ac·ter·is·tic
ˌən-ˌker-ik-tə-ˈri-stik 
-ˌka-rik-
: not characteristic : not typical or distinctive
uncharacteristic outbursts of temper
Examples of uncharacteristic in a Sentence
It was an uncharacteristic outburst of temper.
Her uncharacteristic silence bothered me.
Recent Examples on the Web
After being on the ice for three goals at five-on-five in the first five games of the series, to be on for two in Game 6 was an uncharacteristic night for the Canadiens’ most reliable defensive pairing.
—
Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 17 May 2026
His most loyal staff and supporters were quick to defend him, arguing that staff churn is common in any New York City campaign, and that the death of his sister Tatiana Schlossberg in December helps explain behavior otherwise uncharacteristic of a young politician.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
Those three losses to WVU last weekend were uncharacteristic of a KU team that has now won 10 of its last 14 games, 21 of its last 26 and 27 of its most recent 34.
—Gary Bedore
may 14, Kansas City Star, 14 May 2026
But in uncharacteristic fashion for Musk, xAI moved too slowly into harness engineering, which allows AI models to reach out beyond chat windows and control more operations on a computer.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for uncharacteristic
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 17 May 2026
His most loyal staff and supporters were quick to defend him, arguing that staff churn is common in any New York City campaign, and that the death of his sister Tatiana Schlossberg in December helps explain behavior otherwise uncharacteristic of a young politician.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
Those three losses to WVU last weekend were uncharacteristic of a KU team that has now won 10 of its last 14 games, 21 of its last 26 and 27 of its most recent 34.
—Gary Bedore
may 14, Kansas City Star, 14 May 2026
But in uncharacteristic fashion for Musk, xAI moved too slowly into harness engineering, which allows AI models to reach out beyond chat windows and control more operations on a computer.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for uncharacteristic
Cite this Entry
“Uncharacteristic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uncharacteristic. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
