What does characterising mean?
Characterising is the present participle of characterise, meaning to describe someone or something in terms of the qualities that make them distinctive. In phrases such as a characterising feature, it identifies the trait that is especially typical or revealing of a person, place, or period. It can also be used attributively, as in a characterising smile, where the word means that a smile expresses a person's character. The form is common in British English, while American English normally spells the corresponding present participle characterizing and the base verb characterize. Characterising is useful because it shifts attention from a general description to the identifying essence of something, though it should not be used where a neutral label would be more appropriate. Its connotations are usually analytical and respectful, but context can make it critical or even dismissive: to characterise a person as dishonest is to make that judgment central to the portrait.
verb (present participle)Describing or identifying someone or something by the qualities or features that are especially typical or distinctive of them. It can also function attributively, meaning that something expresses or reveals a particular character.
- Describing or identifying a person, object, place, or period by its distinctive or defining qualities.
"The warm welcome was a characterising feature of the hotel."
"The dry humour was a characterising feature of the playwright's early work."
"Several critics characterised the policy as unnecessarily cautious."
A good portrait does more than capture a face; it characterises the qualities that make that face unforgettable.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of characterising
The present participle characterising follows the verb characterise, which entered English from French caractériser in the early 17th century. The French verb was based on Latin characterizare, meaning to mark with a character, and ultimately on character, which derives from Greek kharaktēr, an engraver or imprinting tool. Related English words include character, characteristic, and characterize.
Related word forms
How characterising is actually used
Chiefly used in British English; American English generally uses characterizing. The word is formal and analytical, with neutral or approving overtones when describing distinctive qualities, although it can carry criticism or dismissiveness when someone or something is characterised negatively.
Easily confused with characterising
Characterising is the standard British-English spelling, while characterizing is the usual American-English spelling of the same present participle.