characterization
noun
char·ac·ter·i·za·tion
ˌker-ik-t(ə-)rə-ˈzā-shən 
ˌka-rik-
: the act of characterizing
especially
: the artistic representation (as in fiction or drama) of human character or motives
the author's characterization of the boy as someone who wanted to be accepted by others
Examples of characterization in a Sentence
The reporter was criticized for his characterization of the people of the town as poor and uneducated.
News reporting requires accurate characterization.
The class discussed the author's characterization of the boy as someone who wanted to be accepted by others.
The story has good characterization.
Recent Examples on the Web
On Tuesday, the White House and the State Department stood by the president's initial description of the forthcoming conversations and rejected Iran's characterization of the talks as indirect.
—
Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 8 Apr. 2025
Look, nobody watches classic Jackie Chan movies for the plot, complex characterizations, or the dubbing (which is often hilariously bad).
—ArsTechnica, 7 Apr. 2025
Altogether, the study and characterization of dwarf galaxies is important for understanding the evolution of galaxies.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 24 Mar. 2025
Khalil, a green card holder married to a U.S. citizen, strongly rejects that characterization and said this week that he was being detained to silence free speech.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for characterization
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Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 8 Apr. 2025
Look, nobody watches classic Jackie Chan movies for the plot, complex characterizations, or the dubbing (which is often hilariously bad).
—ArsTechnica, 7 Apr. 2025
Altogether, the study and characterization of dwarf galaxies is important for understanding the evolution of galaxies.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 24 Mar. 2025
Khalil, a green card holder married to a U.S. citizen, strongly rejects that characterization and said this week that he was being detained to silence free speech.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for characterization
Cite this Entry
“Characterization.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/characterization. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
characterization
noun
char·ac·ter·i·za·tion
ˌkar-ik-tə-rə-ˈzā-shən
1
: the act of characterizing
2
: the creation of characters (as in a book or play)
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