Parameterizing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Representing or describing something by defining its parameters or variables
2. Converting a process, function, or system into a set of adjustable parameters
3. Defining or characterizing a concept or model through specific variables or parameters

Etymology: "Parameterizing" is the present participle of "parameterize," which is built from "parameter" and the suffix "-ize." The noun "parameter" came into English in the 1600s, from the New Latin "parametrum," itself formed from Greek roots meaning "measure beside" or "measure alongside." In its original mathematical sense, a parameter was a constant in an equation that stayed fixed while other quantities varied, which is why the idea of a measure set apart from the main quantities sits at its core. The suffix "-ize" has a long lineage of its own. It arrived in English through Middle French "-iser" and Late Latin "-izare," which in turn came from Greek "-izein," used to form verbs meaning "to make into" or "to treat in the manner of." English has used this suffix for centuries to turn nouns into verbs, so "parameterize" follows a familiar pattern: to express something in terms of parameters.

Synonyms: specifying, defining, characterizing, qualifying, detailing