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characteristic

char·ac·ter·is·tic
C c

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [kar-ik-tuh-ris-tik]
    • /ˌkær ɪk təˈrɪs tɪk/
    • /ˌkærəktəˈrɪstɪk/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [kar-ik-tuh-ris-tik]
    • /ˌkær ɪk təˈrɪs tɪk/

Definitions of characteristic word

  • countable noun characteristic The characteristics of a person or thing are the qualities or features that belong to them and make them recognizable. 3
  • adjective characteristic A quality or feature that is characteristic of someone or something is one which is often seen in them and seems typical of them. 3
  • noun characteristic a distinguishing quality, attribute, or trait 3
  • noun characteristic the integral part of a common logarithm, indicating the order of magnitude of the associated number 3
  • noun characteristic another name for exponent, used esp in number representation in computing 3
  • adjective characteristic indicative of a distinctive quality, etc; typical 3

Information block about the term

Origin of characteristic

First appearance:

before 1655
One of the 46% oldest English words
From the Greek word charaktēristikós, dating back to 1655-65. See character, -istic

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Characteristic

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

characteristic popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 90% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

characteristic usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for characteristic

noun characteristic

  • style — a particular kind, sort, or type, as with reference to form, appearance, or character: the baroque style; The style of the house was too austere for their liking.
  • tendency — a natural or prevailing disposition to move, proceed, or act in some direction or toward some point, end, or result: the tendency of falling bodies toward the earth.
  • nature — has the X nature
  • attribute — If you attribute something to an event or situation, you think that it was caused by that event or situation.
  • component — The components of something are the parts that it is made of.

adjective characteristic

  • typical — of the nature of or serving as a type or representative specimen.
  • distinguishing — distinctive; characteristic, as a definitive feature of an individual or group: Intricate rhyming is a distinguishing feature of her poetry.
  • distinctive — serving to distinguish; characteristic; distinguishing: the distinctive stripes of the zebra.
  • individual — a single human being, as distinguished from a group.
  • representative — a person or thing that represents another or others.

Antonyms for characteristic

noun characteristic

  • whole — comprising the full quantity, amount, extent, number, etc., without diminution or exception; entire, full, or total: He ate the whole pie. They ran the whole distance.
  • dislike — to regard with displeasure, antipathy, or aversion: I dislike working. I dislike oysters.
  • hate — to dislike intensely or passionately; feel extreme aversion for or extreme hostility toward; detest: to hate the enemy; to hate bigotry.
  • hatred — the feeling of one who hates; intense dislike or extreme aversion or hostility.
  • inability — lack of ability; lack of power, capacity, or means: his inability to make decisions.

adjective characteristic

  • uncharacteristic — Also, characteristical. pertaining to, constituting, or indicating the character or peculiar quality of a person or thing; typical; distinctive: Red and gold are the characteristic colors of autumn.
  • common — If something is common, it is found in large numbers or it happens often.
  • ordinary — of no special quality or interest; commonplace; unexceptional: One novel is brilliant, the other is decidedly ordinary; an ordinary person.
  • similar — having a likeness or resemblance, especially in a general way: two similar houses.
  • standard — something considered by an authority or by general consent as a basis of comparison; an approved model.

Top questions with characteristic

  • which of the following is a characteristic of all minerals?
  • what is a characteristic trait?
  • what is a characteristic?
  • which of the following is characteristic of carbohydrates?
  • which is a characteristic of mixtures?
  • which of the following is a characteristic of dietary fibers?
  • which statement is most characteristic of george washington?
  • which is characteristic of renaissance art?
  • which is not characteristic of the gothic style?
  • which of the following is a characteristic of cholesterol?
  • which properties are characteristic of the group 1 metals?
  • which was not a characteristic of the great depression?
  • which characteristic would best be associated with pure competition?
  • which of the following is characteristic of new wave films?
  • which was a common characteristic of factory work?

See also

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