Characteristic: meaning, definitions and examples

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characteristic

 

[ ˌkær.ək.təˈrɪs.tɪk ]

Adjective / Noun
Oxford 3000
Context #1 | Adjective

personality traits

Characteristic refers to a feature or quality that is typical of a person, place, or thing. It is a distinguishing trait that sets someone or something apart from others.

Synonyms

distinctive, typical, unique

Examples of usage

  • He is known for his characteristic generosity.
  • One characteristic of a good leader is the ability to inspire others.
  • Her artistic characteristic is her attention to detail.
Context #2 | Noun

statistics

In statistics, a characteristic is a measurable feature or property of a population or sample. It is used to describe the data and can be used to differentiate between different groups.

Synonyms

attribute, feature, trait

Examples of usage

  • The most common characteristic used in demographics is age.
  • In market research, income level is an important characteristic to consider.

Translations

Translations of the word "characteristic" in other languages:

🇵🇹 característica

🇮🇳 विशेषता (visheshata)

🇩🇪 Eigenschaft

🇮🇩 ciri

🇺🇦 характеристика

🇵🇱 cecha

🇯🇵 特徴 (tokuchō)

🇫🇷 caractéristique

🇪🇸 característica

🇹🇷 özellik

🇰🇷 특징 (teukjing)

🇸🇦 ميزة (miizatan)

🇨🇿 charakteristika

🇸🇰 charakteristika

🇨🇳 特征 (tèzhēng)

🇸🇮 značilnost

🇮🇸 einkenni

🇰🇿 сипаттама (sipattama)

🇬🇪 ხასიათი (khasiati)

🇦🇿 xüsusiyyət

🇲🇽 característica

Etymology

The word 'characteristic' originates from the Greek word 'kharktēristikos', meaning 'of or for marking'. It entered the English language in the 17th century and has been used to describe distinguishing features ever since.

See also: character, characteristically, characteristics, characterizable, characterization, characterize, characters, uncharacteristically.

Word Frequency Rank

This word ranks #1,732, placing it within important intermediate vocabulary. Learning it will significantly improve your ability to express yourself in English.