What does characterize mean?
Characterize is a verb with two closely related meanings. First, it means to describe the distinctive qualities or features of a person or thing, as when a critic characterizes a film as bleakly beautiful or a scientist characterizes a new species by its markings. Second, it can mean to be a typical or defining feature of something, as in the statement that the desert is characterized by extreme heat and sparse rainfall. The word carries a formal, analytical tone and appears frequently in academic writing, journalism, and criticism, where precision about qualities matters more than casual impression. It commonly takes the constructions 'characterize X as Y', which frames a judgment or description, and the passive 'X is characterized by Y', which highlights defining attributes. Deriving from the Greek kharaktēr, meaning an engraving or distinguishing mark, the word retains that original sense of marking out what makes something recognizably itself.
To describe the distinctive qualities or features of someone or something.
"She characterized her childhood as happy but chaotic."
To serve as a typical or distinguishing feature of something.
"Impatience characterizes much of his early work."
The Greek root of 'characterize' — charassein, 'to engrave' — literally meant cutting a mark into a surface; every time you characterize someone, you're carving their defining mark into words.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of characterize
Characterize derives from the Greek kharaktēr, meaning an engraving tool or the mark made by engraving, via Latin character and French caractériser. The verb entered English in the early 17th century, initially carrying the literal sense of engraving before developing its modern meaning of describing distinctive qualities. It shares this Greek root with related English words including character, characteristic, and characterization.
Related word forms
How characterize is actually used
Commonly used in formal and academic writing. The passive form ('is characterized by') is especially frequent in descriptive prose. In the sense of describing someone's qualities, it typically takes the pattern 'characterize X as Y'. British spelling uses '-ise' (characterise), though '-ize' is also acceptable in British usage.
Easily confused with characterize
'Caricature' is a noun (or verb) meaning an exaggerated, comic imitation of someone or something, while 'characterize' means to describe the essential qualities of something without any implication of exaggeration.