characterise
gb/t͡ʃˈɑɹˈæktɚˌaɪz/ us/t͡ʃˈɑɹˈæktɚˌaɪz/
B2
Inglés
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Verbo
formal
B2
action
1
describe key qualities
To say what someone or something is like, focusing on the most important features.
Patrón de uso:
characterise [someone/something]
Error frecuente:
Often spelled characterize in American English; avoid confusing it with the noun characteristic.
Sinónimos
describe (More general and less formal.)
|
define (Often suggests stating essential qualities or limits more precisely.)
|
depict (Emphasises presenting an image, often in writing or art.)
Antónimos
misrepresent (Describes something inaccurately or misleadingly.)
|
obscure (Makes the true qualities harder to see or understand.)
Colocaciones
characterise a person
|characterise a situation
|characterise the problem
|characterise the period
|characterise the relationship
|characterise the difference
|characterise the approach
|attempt to characterise
|difficult to characterise
|accurately characterise
Temas
communication
|education
|writing
Ejemplos
- It’s hard to characterise his music because it mixes several styles.
- The report characterises the new policy as risky and expensive.
- She tried to characterise the mood in the office after the announcement.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- Can you characterise his personality?
- The article characterises the city as friendly.
Verbo
formal
C1
relation
2
be typical of something
To be something that is common or special in a person or thing.
Patrón de uso:
[something] characterises [someone/something]
Error frecuente:
Learners may wrongly use it for one-time events; it usually refers to typical, repeated features.
Sinónimos
mark (Highlights something as a noticeable sign or feature.)
|
distinguish (Emphasises making something different from others.)
Antónimos
be uncharacteristic of (Describes something that is not typical.)
Colocaciones
characterise an era
|characterise a style
|characterise his work
|characterise her leadership
|characterise the system
|characterise the region
|characterise the genre
|characterise the movement
|the optimism that characterises
|the violence that characterises
Temas
communication
|writing
Ejemplos
- A sense of humour characterises much of her writing.
- High humidity characterises the region in summer.
- Speed and precision characterise the best teams.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- Kindness characterises her work.
- Long winters characterise this area.
Verbo
formal
C1
action
3
portray in writing or art
To show a person or situation in a story in a certain way.
Patrón de uso:
characterise [someone/something] as [something]
Error frecuente:
Do not confuse characterise (describe/portray) with act (perform a role).
Sinónimos
portray (Common in arts contexts; focuses on representation.)
|
depict (Often suggests a vivid, detailed picture.)
|
present (More neutral; focuses on how something is shown to an audience.)
Antónimos
whitewash (Portrays someone or something as better than they really are.)
|
caricature (Overstates features for humour or criticism rather than a balanced portrayal.)
Colocaciones
characterise a hero
|characterise a villain
|characterise the protagonist
|characterise the narrator
|characterise a relationship
|characterise the setting
|characterise someone as
|strongly characterise
|clearly characterise
|subtly characterise
Temas
arts
|media
|writing
Ejemplos
- The film characterises the detective as lonely but determined.
- In the novel, the city is characterised as both beautiful and cruel.
- The journalist was criticised for how she characterised the protesters.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The book characterises him as brave.
- The movie characterises the town as dangerous.
Verbo
technical
C1
process
4
identify and describe scientifically
To study something carefully to find out its properties.
Patrón de uso:
characterise [material/substance/system]
Error frecuente:
In scientific writing, characterise is broader than measure: it usually includes identifying what something is and what properties it has.
Sinónimos
analyse (Focuses on examining parts or data to understand something.)
|
profile (Often means creating a summary set of measured features.)
|
identify (Can be narrower: finding what something is, not necessarily all properties.)
Antónimos
leave unanalysed (Does not examine or describe properties.)
Colocaciones
characterise a material
|characterise a compound
|characterise a sample
|characterise a protein
|characterise a virus
|characterise the structure
|characterise the surface
|characterise the data
|fully characterise
|characterise experimentally
Temas
science
|technology
|education
Ejemplos
- The team used microscopy to characterise the surface of the coating.
- Researchers are working to characterise the new strain of the virus.
- The study characterises how the material behaves under stress.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- Scientists characterise the new material.
- We need to characterise the sample first.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
characterise
AFI
GB/t͡ʃˈɑɹˈæktɚˌaɪz/
US/t͡ʃˈɑɹˈæktɚˌaɪz/
Sílabas y acento
char - ac - ter - ise (4 sílabas)
Stress on 1st syllable (char)
Formas de la palabra
Verb
- Base: characterise
- 3rd Person Singular: characterises
- Present Participle: characterising
- Past: characterised
Familia de palabras
Forms
characterises
verb
characterising
verb
characterised
verb
Core family
Related words
characteristically
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
Advanced or less common
mischaracterise
verb
mischaracterisation
noun
Expresiones
be characterised by [something]
1/bˈi t͡ʃˈɑɹˈæktɚˌaɪzd bˈaɪ sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
formal
have a typical feature
To have something as a typical or main feature.
Ejemplos
- The 1990s were characterised by rapid technological change.
- Her leadership style is characterised by calm decision-making.
- The disease is characterised by severe fatigue.
characterise [someone/something] as [something]
1/t͡ʃˈɑɹˈæktɚˌaɪz sˈoʊmˈoʊnsəmˈɛθɪŋ ˈæz sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
formal
describe someone in a way
To say that someone or something is a particular kind of person or thing.
Ejemplos
- He characterised the decision as a mistake.
- The newspaper characterised her as a brilliant negotiator.
- Several witnesses characterised the night as chaotic.
characterise [something] by [something]
1/t͡ʃˈɑɹˈæktɚˌaɪz sˈʌmθɪŋ bˈaɪ sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
formal
describe using a key feature
To describe something mainly by one important feature.
Ejemplos
- You can characterise the market by the level of competition.
- The two approaches are characterised by different assumptions.
- The authors characterise the period by political instability.
characterise [something] in terms of [something]
1/t͡ʃˈɑɹˈæktɚˌaɪz sˈʌmθɪŋ ˈɪn tˈɚmz əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
formal
describe using a framework
To explain something mainly by using a particular set of ideas or measures.
Ejemplos
- The problem is often characterised in terms of cost rather than safety.
- He characterised success in terms of long-term impact.
- The researchers characterised the response in terms of peak intensity and duration.