characteristic
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a quality or feature that is typical of a particular person, place, or thing.
n.a distinguishing trait or quality that serves to identify or characterize an entity.
Simple“Patience is a characteristic that makes her a great teacher for young children.”
In context“The most striking characteristic of the local architecture is the use of volcanic stone in the foundations of even the humblest dwellings.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.describing a quality that is very typical of a certain person or thing.
adj.pertaining to or constituting a distinctive character; typical of a specific individual or group.
Simple“He answered the phone with his characteristic enthusiasm and energy.”
In context“The author writes with a characteristic blend of dark humour and social commentary that fans recognize instantly.”
SynonymsAntonymsuntypicalunusual - 03 C2 Proficiency
n.the whole number part of a logarithm.
n.the integral part of a common logarithm, as distinguished from the mantissa.
Simple“In the logarithm 2.4771, the number 2 is the characteristic.”
In context“Students must learn to determine the characteristic by inspection before using tables to find the decimal mantissa of a common logarithm.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
n.the specific pattern of light flashes that helps sailors identify a lighthouse.
n.the unique sequence of light and dark intervals used to identify a specific navigational aid.
Simple“The lighthouse has a characteristic of two white flashes every ten seconds.”
In context“The navigator consulted the light list to verify the characteristic of the beacon before attempting to enter the unfamiliar harbour at night.”
Usage describe characteristic · display characteristic · examine characteristic
“In humans and many other animals, a mother's age can affect the physical and behavioral characteristics of the next generation.”
“To achieve this, researchers traditionally use climate models to determine the characteristic pattern of change produced by a specific influencing factor.”
From Ancient Greek χαρακτηριστικός (kharaktēristikós), from χαρακτηρίζω (kharaktērízō, “to designate by a characteristic mark”), from χαρακτήρ (kharaktḗr, “a mark, character”). By surface analysis, character + -istic.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.