character
- 01 A2 Elementary
a person in a book, play, or film.
a fictional being or persona involved in the action of a narrative work.
Simple“My favorite character in the movie was the brave young pilot.”
In context“The protagonist is a complex character whose motivations remain ambiguous until the final chapter of the novel.”
- 02 B1 Intermediate
the qualities that make a person or place different from others.
the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual or group.
Simple“The old town has a lot of character because of its narrow streets.”
In context“The interview process is designed to assess a candidate's character and integrity rather than just their technical proficiency.”
Synonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
the quality of being honest, brave, and strong in your choices.
strength of mind and moral resolution; the possession of high ethical standards.
Simple“It takes great character to admit when you have made a mistake.”
In context“The coach praised the team's character after they managed to stay focused despite the hostile atmosphere in the stadium.”
- 04 B1 Intermediate
a letter, number, or symbol used in writing or on a computer.
a printed or written symbol; in computing, a basic unit of information corresponding to a grapheme or control code.
Simple“Your password must be at least eight characters long.”
In context“The software struggled to render certain mathematical characters correctly when exporting the document to a plain text format.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
a person who is unusual, funny, or interesting.
an individual with eccentric, notable, or charismatic traits.
Simple“The old man at the library is quite a character; he always tells jokes.”
In context“The local baker was a real character who would burst into song whenever a customer ordered a sourdough loaf.”
Synonymseccentricindividualist - 06 C1 Advanced
the opinion that people have about someone's honesty and habits.
the estimate or reputation put upon a person; often used in legal or formal contexts regarding a person's standing.
Simple“The lawyer called several witnesses to testify to the man's good character.”
In context“The defendant's character was called into question during the cross-examination, focusing on his history of financial irregularities.”
Synonyms
From Middle English caracter, from Old French caractere, from Latin character, from Ancient Greek χαρακτήρ (kharaktḗr, “type, nature, character”), from χαράσσω (kharássō, “to engrave”). Doublet of charakter.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.