Character Definition
kărək-tər
characters
noun
characters
A distinctive mark.
Webster's New World
The distinguishing nature of something.
American Heritage Medicine
The letters of an alphabet, collectively.
Webster's New World
Public estimation of someone; reputation.
Personal attacks that damaged her character.
American Heritage
A mystic symbol or magical emblem.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
adjective
Of or relating to one's character.
American Heritage
Specializing in the interpretation of often minor roles that emphasize fixed personality traits or specific physical characteristics.
A character actor.
American Heritage
Of or relating to the interpretation of such roles by an actor.
The character part of the hero's devoted mother.
American Heritage
Dedicated to the portrayal of a person with regard to distinguishing psychological or physical features.
A character sketch.
American Heritage
verb
To write, print, or inscribe.
Webster's New World
To characterize.
Webster's New World
To represent; portray.
Webster's New World
idiom
in character
- Consistent with someone's general character or behavior:
behavior that was totally in character.
American Heritage
out of character
- Inconsistent with someone's general character or behavior:
a response so much out of character that it amazed me.
American Heritage
in (<i>or</i> out of) character
- consistent with (or inconsistent with) the role or general character
Webster's New World
Other Word Forms of Character
Noun
Singular:
characterPlural:
charactersIdioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Character
- in character
- out of character
- in (or out of) character
Origin of Character
Middle English carecter distinctive mark, imprint on the soul from Old French caractere from Latin charactēr from Greek kharaktēr from kharassein to inscribe from kharax kharak- pointed stick
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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From Middle English caracter, from Old French caractere, from Latin character, from Ancient Greek χαρακτήρ (kharaktēr, “type, nature, character”), from χαράσσω (kharassō, “I engrave”).
From Wiktionary
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