Characteristic Definition & Meaning

characteristic
adjective
  1. typical or distinctive; "heard my friend's characteristic laugh"; "red and gold are the characteristic colors of autumn"; "stripes characteristic of the zebra"
noun
  1. a prominent attribute or aspect of something; "the map showed roads and other features"; "generosity is one of his best characteristics"
  2. a distinguishing quality
  3. the integer part (positive or negative) of the representation of a logarithm; in the expression log 643 = 2.808 the characteristic is 2
  4. any measurable property of a device measured under closely specified conditions

Synonyms for characteristic

diagnostic adj

concerned with diagnosis; used for furthering diagnosis

♫ Rhymes
distinctive adj

of a feature that helps to distinguish a person or thing

♫ Rhymes ↔ Synonyms
distinguishing
♫ Rhymes
feature noun

a prominent attribute or aspect of something; "the map showed roads and other features

♫ Rhymes ↔ Synonyms
symptomatic adj

characteristic or indicative of a disease; "a diagnostic sign of yellow fever"; "a rash symptomatic of scarlet fever

♫ Rhymes
typical adj

exhibiting the qualities or characteristics that identify a group or kind or category; "a typical American girl

♫ Rhymes ↔ Synonyms

"Characteristic" in song lyrics

See how characteristic is used in real songs:

  • "I'm deliverin' real in every form and characteristic"
    Bloods & Crips — Puttin' in Work
  • "For me to be soft ain't a characteristic"
    Kam Moye (Supastition) f/ Tenille — Nobody's Fool
  • "mothers of the bible characteristic"
    AOL — AOL

Words that rhyme with characteristic

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Usage tips for "characteristic"

Understanding the precise definition of a word helps you use it with confidence. When using "characteristic" in your writing, consider whether you need the word itself or one of its synonyms — subtle differences in meaning can change the tone of a sentence. If you're writing poetry or song lyrics, check the rhymes for characteristic to find words that pair well.

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♫ Rhymes with characteristic ↔ Synonyms for characteristic 🔬 Words containing characteristic

Frequently asked questions

What does characteristic mean?
typical or distinctive; "heard my friend's characteristic laugh"; "red and gold are the characteristic colors of autumn"; "stripes characteristic of the zebra" a prominent attribute or aspect of something; "the map showed roads and other features"; "generosity is one of his best characteristics" a distinguishing quality the integer part (positive or negative) of the representation of a logarithm
What part of speech is characteristic?
Characteristic is an adjective and a noun.
How many definitions does characteristic have?
Characteristic has 5 definitions across 2 parts of speech (adjective, noun).

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