Characterize Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary (original) (raw)

Britannica Dictionary definition of CHARACTERIZE

[+ object]

somewhat formal

1

:

to describe the character or special qualities of (someone or something)

• How would you characterize the situation/problem?
• I would characterize this as a positive change for our company.
• She had difficulty characterizing their relationship.
• His personality is hard to characterize.
• The newspaper article characterizes [=_portrays_] the people of the town as poor and uneducated.

2

:

to be a typical feature or quality of (someone or something)

• Humor and intelligence characterize [=mark, _distinguish_] his writing.
• Farms and large flat fields characterize most of the area.
• the beliefs that characterized Europe in the 15th century

— often used as (be) characterized

• The disease is characterized by a rise in blood pressure.