characteristic
noun
, ˌka-rik-\
Definition of characteristic
(Entry 1 of 2)
characteristic
adjectiveDefinition of characteristic (Entry 2 of 2)
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Other Words from characteristic
Adjective
, ˌka-rik- \
adverb
Synonyms & Antonyms for characteristic
Synonyms: Noun
affection, attribute, attribution, character, criterion, diagnostic, differentia, feature, fingerprint, hallmark, mark, marker, note, particularity, peculiarity, point, property, quality, specific, stamp, touch, trait
Synonyms: Adjective
classic, diagnostic (also diagnostical), discriminating, distinct, distinctive, distinguishing, identifying, individual, peculiar, proper, symptomatic, typical
Antonyms: Adjective
atypical, nontypical, uncharacteristic, untypical
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Examples of characteristic in a Sentence
Noun
the ability to fashion tools and other characteristics that distinguish human beings from other animalsAdjective
He responded to their comments with characteristic good humor. the characteristic taste of licorice
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
All of Cara’s personal characteristics played beautifully into the role. — Julia Felsenthal, Marie Claire, "Cara Delevingne Bares All," 13 Aug. 2019 Wine industry consultant Eric Awes will share details about each region’s history and unique characteristics. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Women’s group participates in Vista Relay for Life," 12 Aug. 2019 In the absence of body-language cues, Jill said, volunteers become attuned to vocal characteristics. — Alison Kuznitz, BostonGlobe.com, "‘I validate your pain’: A new suicide prevention program on Cape Cod is rethinking mental health care," 10 Aug. 2019 Calder, who has been with the company for 10 years, points to the many distinct characteristics that separate the four locations from many other Encompass Health sites. — Mike Candelaria, orlandosentinel.com, "Encompass Health: Compassion, care and a ‘line outside the door’," 9 Aug. 2019 In addition to testing whether characteristics like age or breed impacted the taste of an animal, Alexander and her assistant cooked the meats using a variety of methods—roasting, frying, boiling, or braising—to see which was the most appealing. — Michael Waters, Smithsonian, "The Government Taste Testers Who Reshaped America’s Diet," 9 Aug. 2019 For five years, the researchers looked at atmospheric characteristics and narrowed the locations to Chile, Mexico, and Mauna Kea. — Daisy Hernandez, Popular Mechanics, "Why Protesters Don't Want a Giant Telescope Atop This Hawaiian Volcano," 6 Aug. 2019 Volleyball, this defining characteristic, is actually a relatively new part of Jasper’s life. — Giana Han, baltimoresun.com, "Broadneck grad Jaylen Jasper eager to reach volleyball potential at Stanford," 5 Aug. 2019 Aquaphor's spray is also hypoallergenic and contains no perfumes, dyes or preservatives — key characteristics. — Beth Janes, Good Housekeeping, "Are You Moisturizing Your Skin Correctly?," 2 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Instead, her characteristic movement is knitting, throughout architecture school, at construction sites, at home, a kind of constant low-level making that, one suspects, allows her room to think. — Alexandra Lange, Curbed, "What ‘Where’d You Go, Bernadette?’ meant to me as a woman in architecture," 13 Aug. 2019 So likely their characteristic black and white patches are a very effective form of camouflage. — Beth Py-lieberman, Smithsonian, "14 Fun Facts About Giant Pandas," 10 Aug. 2019 To Lester, for whom Joplin’s characteristic force-of-nature performance is an enduring peak memory, being at Woodstock was a natural. — Charlie Brennan, The Denver Post, "50 years on, Woodstock memories still glow for those who were there," 10 Aug. 2019 Years ago, physicists studying the phenomenon realized that this messy, violent process brings about a hidden regularity: Every drop in the world has one of just a few characteristic neck shapes. — Quanta Magazine, "Bubble Experiment Finds Universal Laws," 31 July 2019 These large snakes, found through the southern and eastern United States, have bodies that range from tan to copper to gray, with characteristic hourglass-shaped stripes. — National Geographic, "Copperheads," 22 July 2019 But Ducey's tweets lacked Trump's characteristic capital letters and exclamation points. — Maria Polletta, azcentral, "How many Doug Ducey tweets come from the governor himself?," 11 July 2019 Other red pigments, meanwhile, either start off dull (oxides of iron) or fade to dullness unless given special protection from ultraviolet light (Pigment Red 254, the source of Ferraris’ characteristic scarlet livery). — The Economist, "A team of chemists are searching for a new red pigment," 11 July 2019 With Raman spectroscopy, the frequency of the light changes in characteristic ways for particular types of molecules. — Stephanie Demarco, latimes.com, "Archaeologists have a new way to unlock the secrets of ancient burned bones," 28 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'characteristic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.