Library / English Dictionary

CHARACTERIZE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Describe or portray the character or the qualities or peculiarities of

Example:

This poem can be characterized as a lament for a dead lover

Synonyms:

characterise; characterize; qualify

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "characterize" is one way to...):

remember; think of (keep in mind for attention or consideration)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "characterize"):

differentiate; distinguish; mark (be a distinctive feature, attribute, or trait; sometimes in a very positive sense)

stamp (reveal clearly as having a certain character)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

character (a characteristic property that defines the apparent individual nature of something)

characterization (the act of describing distinctive characteristics or essential features)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Be characteristic of

Example:

What characterizes a Venetian painting?

Synonyms:

characterise; characterize

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "characterize" is one way to...):

differentiate; distinguish; mark (be a distinctive feature, attribute, or trait; sometimes in a very positive sense)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "characterize"):

individuate (give individual character to)

define (determine the nature of)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

character (a characteristic property that defines the apparent individual nature of something)

Credits

 Context examples: 

It is characterized by the presence of a mixture of melanin-containing epithelial cells and smaller neuroblast-like cells.

(Melanotic Neuroectodermal Tumor, NCI Thesaurus)

It is characterized by the presence of elongated spindle-shaped fibroblasts, collagenous stroma formation, and an infiltrative growth pattern.

(Abdominal Fibromatosis, NCI Thesaurus)

A disorder characterized by swelling of the abdomen.

(Abdominal Distention, NCI Thesaurus/CTCAE)

A disorder characterized by a sensation of marked discomfort in the abdominal region.

(Abdominal Pain, NCI Thesaurus/CTCAE)

An autosomal recessive disorder characterized by defective absorption of dietary fat, cholesterol and fat-soluble vitamins.

(Abetalipoproteinemia, NCI Thesaurus)

An inflammatory process characterized by the accumulation of pus within a newly formed tissue cavity which is the result of a bacterial, fungal, or parasitic infection or the presence of a foreign body.

(Abscess, NCI Thesaurus)

A platelet characterized by a structural or functional abnormality.

(Abnormal Platelet, NCI Thesaurus)

A morphologic variant of acinar adenocarcinoma of the prostate gland characterized by the presence of signet ring malignant cells.

(Acinar Prostate Adenocarcinoma, Signet Ring Variant, NCI Thesaurus)

A usually aggressive morphologic variant of acinar adenocarcinoma of the prostate gland characterized by the presence of lakes of extracellular mucin.

(Acinar Prostate Mucinous Adenocarcinoma, NCI Thesaurus)

Anemia characterized by the presence of unusually large erythroblasts in the bone marrow called megaloblasts.

(Megaloblastic Anemia, NCI Thesaurus)