Britannica Dictionary definition of CHARACTERIZE
[+ object]
somewhat formal
1
:
to describe the character or special qualities of (someone or something)
How would you characterize the situation/problem?
I would characterize this as a positive change for our company.
She had difficulty characterizing their relationship.
His personality is hard to characterize.
The newspaper article characterizes [=portrays] the people of the town as poor and uneducated.
2
:
to be a typical feature or quality of (someone or something)
Humor and intelligence characterize [=mark, distinguish] his writing.
Farms and large flat fields characterize most of the area.
the beliefs that characterized Europe in the 15th century
— often used as (be) characterized
The disease is characterized by a rise in blood pressure.