characters 1 of 2

plural of character
1
as in symbols
a written or printed mark that is meant to convey information to the reader the pictorial characters of the ancient Egyptians had long been a mystery

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5
as in identities
the set of qualities that make a person different from other people she regards each of her children as having a distinctive character that should be valued for what it is

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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characters

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of character
as in characterizes
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group formerly charactered as "the dark ages," that period of history may not have been quite so benighted as once thought

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of characters
Noun
In books and movies, though, versions of amnesia lurk everywhere … Amnesiacs might not much exist, but amnesiac characters stumble everywhere through comic books, movies, and our dreams. Literary Hub, 24 Oct. 2025 Other new characters joining the mix are Malcolm’s girlfriend, Tristan (Kiana Madeira) and his daughter, Leah (Keeley Karsten). Selome Hailu, Variety, 23 Oct. 2025 The role of Scrooge falls right in Depp’s wheelhouse after making of career of creating wild and bold characters from Captain Jack Sparrow and the Mad Hatter to Ichabod Crane and Willy Wonka. Justin Kroll, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025 Until then, the show gets by on the charm of its supporting characters, including Noah’s brother, Sasha (Timothy Simons), and sister-in-law, Esther (Jackie Tohn). Kristen Baldwin, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025 In real life, the cast deals with far more everyday problems than their characters do. Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025 Sending up the no-stakes frivolity of progressive Reform Judaism, characters played by Seth Rogen and Kate Berlant get some insight-free chuckles. Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025 Fantasy and reality blur as the latter film’s characters reappear as the real-life actors in the final third. Erik Morse, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025 One of the best parts to it are the recollections from his Little Italy friends and relatives, many of whom served as inspiration for his sometimes unsavory characters. Randy Myers, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characters
Noun
  • His TikTok account, investigators noted, also featured anarchist symbols and links to anti-government literature.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
  • The collection, set to launch Tuesday, will include both men's and women's apparel and accessories with NFL team symbols.
    Ian Thomas, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Appealing to consumers searching for a piece of history, the store has gained a following of visitors hunting for unique souvenirs, designers on inspiration trips and local eccentrics.
    Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 24 Oct. 2025
  • For Mimi Pond, the desire to do a book about the Mitford sisters – six larger-than-life British eccentrics (and one brother) who created a stir in both British and American culture – was obvious.
    Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The rich and powerful, at least, might have the means to protect their reputations from an onslaught of deepfakes.
    Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
  • But as the case spirals and loyalties fracture, reputations are on the line, and everyone’s playing to win.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • As America’s capital of both wine production and pleasant weather, California has any number of towns that capture this experience, each with distinguishing characteristics that suit different types of travelers.
    Justin Goldman, AFAR Media, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Sadly, the Volvo EX30 missed its moment to be great, but retains some appealing characteristics.
    Mark Phelan, Freep.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • His video interspersed images of him walking the city with footage of immigration officials arresting people and cited his recent legislation banning federal law enforcement from masking their identities in California and greenlighting denser housing near transit hubs.
    Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Digging down, just 37 percent have confidence in ICE, 73 percent believe that ICE agents should have to wear uniforms to identify themselves and 63 percent oppose those agents’ use of masks to hide their identities.
    David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • But Jerry realized that their contrasting features, backgrounds and personalities made fertile ground for comedy, and Stiller & Meara was born.
    Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Being isolated in the mountains, with a constant sense of danger and threat – coming either from across the border or from one’s own country – shapes the characters’ personalities.
    Callum McLennan, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Protest organizers have trained thousands in de-escalation techniques and have promised the day will be safe, even as political rhetoric characterizes demonstrators as being aligned with terrorist forces.
    Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
  • The White House regularly characterizes undocumented immigrants as drivers of urban lawlessness, even though the data show that is not true.
    Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Stephens said there were signs of a struggle, and Thomas' body had been dragged about 180 feet into the woods.
    Bill Bowden, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Earlier images of the Sichuan showed the catapult covers removed and a radar array installed, signs that the vessel was nearing sea trial readiness.
    Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Characters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characters. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

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