characterized

verb

past tense of characterize
1
as in described
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group how would you characterize the mission of this environmental organization?

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in distinguished
to be an important feature of an unsightly rash characterizes chicken pox

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of characterized Adam Hamilton Hamilton, the Democratic nominee, has characterized the war as a major foreign policy blunder. — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2026 Shigella bacteria cause shigellosis, an illness characterized by severe diarrhea, that is sometimes bloody or prolonged, and fever. — Charlotte Observer, 16 Oct. 2026 But Coker said school board members should be able to explore ideas, ask difficult questions, and evaluate options without every preliminary discussion being characterized as a predetermined course of action. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Oct. 2026 Carol Witham, an ecologist and volunteers for the California Native Plant Society, characterized that as a win. — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Experts have attributed the uptick to El Niño, a climate pattern characterized by warmer ocean waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific. — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 This homogenization was already underway with the rise of the Instagram Face, characterized by prominent cheekbones, fuller lips, sharp jawlines and lifted eyes. — Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2026 The shoes feature a black-and-white colorway and are characterized by the Majolica tile print. — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026 Schelcher characterized the incident as not only a burden for his company but a threat to French food security. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 12 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characterized
  1. described
  2. distinguished
  3. portrayed
  4. marked
  5. defined
Verb
  • Roger Davis, who manages the airborne strategic command and communications program, described the delivery as an important milestone.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Levine described being overtaken by a group of attackers, hit and knocked to the ground.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of described
Verb
  • Hickel, meanwhile, distinguished the uncertainty facing professional employment from the enduring ability to create art.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Bumble distinguished itself by only allowing women to message first, eventually going public in 2021 at a $14 billion valuation, before scrapping its hallmark rule this year amid declining users.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of distinguished
Verb
  • This opinion has now shifted to Sam Mendes’s quartet of Beatles biopics, in which McCartney is being portrayed by Paul Mescal.
    — Devon Ivie, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2026
  • In England, poet William Cowper portrayed Mai as an innocent corrupted by European society.
    — Saar Shahar, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of portrayed
Verb
  • That urgency has marked Holden’s prolific output—especially the thrilling first installment of his Supreme Magnetic series in 2025 and 2022’s Joe Frog—as the Harlem rapper uses his street-hustling past to paint an autobiographical portrait.
    — Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The Saturday attack marked the deadliest attack on Saudi soil in more than a decade, killing 13 people and injuring 309.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of marked
Verb
  • The Packers have appeared to find some consistency on the defensive side, and their passing attack is defined enough to attack this Cowboys secondary.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Oct. 2026
  • And the fact that its end coincides with an onslaught of other work is not lost on Brammall, whose career, with a few exceptions, has been largely defined by his work in the Southern Hemisphere.
    — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of defined

Browse Nearby Words

characterize
characterized
characterizes
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Cite this Entry

“Characterized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characterized. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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