characterisation
A way of describing someone or something.
A description or portrayal of a person, group, event, or thing, especially one that presents a particular view of what they are like.
How a writer or actor shows what a character is like.
The way characters are created and presented in a novel, play, film, or other narrative, including their personality, motives, and development.
Studying something carefully to describe its main features.
The process of investigating and describing the features or properties of something (such as a material, organism, disease, or system), especially in scientific or technical work.
- Base: characterisation
- Plural: characterisation, characterisations
characterisation of [someone/something] as [something]
1describing someone as something
A formal way to say how someone is described.
- The characterisation of the policy as “a disaster” dominated the headlines.
- I reject the characterisation of his remarks as offensive.
- Her characterisation of the project as a failure was premature.
- I disagree with the characterisation of him as rude.
direct characterisation
1stating a character’s traits
When a story tells you directly what a character is like.
- The opening chapter relies on direct characterisation to introduce the hero.
- In direct characterisation, the narrator simply tells us she is ambitious.
- The teacher asked us to find examples of direct characterisation in the passage.
- This sentence is direct characterisation.
indirect characterisation
1showing traits through actions
When a story shows what a character is like through what they do and say.
- The author uses indirect characterisation to reveal his jealousy.
- Her impatience is clear through indirect characterisation, especially in the dialogue.
- Good indirect characterisation lets the reader draw conclusions.
- The writer uses indirect characterisation in this scene.
material characterisation
1testing a material’s properties
Lab work to learn a material’s main properties.
- Material characterisation showed that the coating was porous.
- The project combines synthesis with material characterisation.
- They expanded the lab’s capacity for material characterisation using new imaging tools.