Added 1 October 2026
characterize
/ˈkæɹəktəɹaɪz/ verb
Latin root: charactērizō Wiktionary
verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about characterize at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- To depict someone or something a particular way (often negative).
- To be typical of.
- To determine the characteristics of.
Origin
From Medieval Latin charactērizō, from Ancient Greek χαρακτηρίζω (kharaktērízō, “to designate by a characteristic mark”), from χαρακτήρ (kharaktḗr, “a mark, character”). By surface analysis, character + -ize.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)