Synonyms for characterize
Most common
All synonyms
Verb
1. Describe
describe, identify, distinguish, mark, individualize UK US, individualise UK, style, particularize, particularise UK, differentiate, designate
Other
Definitions
- v. 1
To depict someone or something a particular way (often negative).
Related words
- Word family
- characterization
- Other spellings
- characterise UK
Forms
- Past participle
- characterized
e.g. characterized → described, identified, distinguished, marked…
Example sentences
- describe Please describe to me exactly what happened there.
- identify They were able to identify him by his wrist watch.
- distinguish We cannot distinguish her from her younger sister.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| characterize | rising | |
| describe | rising | |
| identify | rising | |
| distinguish | steady | |
| particularize | falling |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- mark1
- 5 letters
- style1
- 7 letters
- qualify3
- 8 letters
- describe2, identify4
- 9 letters
- designate3
- 11 letters
- distinguish3
- 13 letters
- differentiate5, individualize6, individualise, particularize, particularise
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (qualify3 = 3 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- caractériser
- Italiano
- caratterizzare