Characterising

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To delineate the unique traits or features that distinguish an entity from others
2. To specify the essential characteristics that define an object or individual distinctly
3. Depicting the qualities or attributes that uniquely identify someone or something

Etymology: Ancient Greek "kharassō" meant to scratch, engrave or cut into a surface, and from it came "kharaktēr", a tool for marking or stamping, and then the mark itself. A sign pressed into wax or metal was a character, so the word carried the idea of an impression that identifies something. Latin borrowed it as "character", and it reached English through Old French "caractere" in the Middle Ages, when it still referred mainly to written letters and symbols. The verb "characterise" is simpler: it is formed from the noun "character" with the suffix "-ise", which comes from Greek "-izein" by way of Late Latin "-izare" and Middle French "-iser". To characterise something is therefore to make its engraved identity visible, to mark out the features that distinguish it from everything else.

Synonyms: describing, depicting, defining, illustrating, labeling

Antonyms: misrepresenting, obscuring, confusing, ignoring, neglecting