1
as in describing
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group
how would you characterize the mission of this environmental organization?
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2
as in distinguishing
to be an important feature of
an unsightly rash characterizes chicken pox
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of characterizing
The notion of characterizing such a move as anything more than penalizing the public — which is finally balking at more taxation — is nonsense.
—
U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
Analysts at Mizuho, for example, urged investors not to overreact, characterizing the move as typical profit-taking after a strong rally.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Guten singled out the defense’s witness, Beatty, as too biased to render an impartial assessment, characterizing the social worker’s testimony as advocacy, not an expert opinion.
—Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
The Hideout also closed for a couple of months beginning in November 2022 after former program director Mykele Deville issued a social media post characterizing the venue as a toxic workplace.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
Albanese had been investigating human rights abuses in Palestinian territories and had started characterizing the Israeli aggression against Palestinians as a genocide.
—Chiara Eisner, NPR, 17 Mar. 2026
So far, lawmakers have been far from receptive to such an idea, with Republicans characterizing the effort as government overreach that would be counter to free-market ideals, one of the officials said.
—Ed Silverman, STAT, 17 Mar. 2026
Film actor Timothée Chalamet recently sparked controversy in the performing arts world by characterizing ballet and opera as dying art forms — not a novel sentiment, of course, but rather the latest foray into an ongoing debate.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
Rout has spent decades characterizing yeast pore complexes.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 9 Mar. 2026
U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
Analysts at Mizuho, for example, urged investors not to overreact, characterizing the move as typical profit-taking after a strong rally.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Guten singled out the defense’s witness, Beatty, as too biased to render an impartial assessment, characterizing the social worker’s testimony as advocacy, not an expert opinion.
—Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
The Hideout also closed for a couple of months beginning in November 2022 after former program director Mykele Deville issued a social media post characterizing the venue as a toxic workplace.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
Albanese had been investigating human rights abuses in Palestinian territories and had started characterizing the Israeli aggression against Palestinians as a genocide.
—Chiara Eisner, NPR, 17 Mar. 2026
So far, lawmakers have been far from receptive to such an idea, with Republicans characterizing the effort as government overreach that would be counter to free-market ideals, one of the officials said.
—Ed Silverman, STAT, 17 Mar. 2026
Film actor Timothée Chalamet recently sparked controversy in the performing arts world by characterizing ballet and opera as dying art forms — not a novel sentiment, of course, but rather the latest foray into an ongoing debate.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
Rout has spent decades characterizing yeast pore complexes.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characterizing
Verb
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In the interview, describing the early moments of her mother’s absence, Guthrie explained the array of terrifying thoughts that occurred to her and to her siblings.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
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Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates later designated it a terrorist organization, describing it as a threat to national stability, while Bahrain adopted a similar stance.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The criterion of self-consciousness, meanwhile, is of no use for the practical task of distinguishing between human and nonhuman digital activity.—
Andrey Mir,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Per Alström, a researcher involved in the study, described the challenge of distinguishing the two species by conventional means.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Hundreds of people attended the Via Crucis in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood on Good Friday, straining their necks to catch a glimpse of the actor portraying Jesus in the final moments before his execution.—
Laura Turbay,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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Laina Morris, for instance, has tried to move on from the image of her grinning, bug-eyed face that became a popular meme portraying her as an overly protective and clingy girlfriend.—
Ben Pettis,
The Conversation,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Astor family were the defining dynasty of New York's Gilded Age, and that spirit of grandeur and meticulous hosting has traveled with the brand ever since.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
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Dowd returns to her career-defining role as Aunt Lydia, who is now the leader of the school where Agnes and Daisy are students.—
Alex Cramer,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Characterizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characterizing. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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