To describe the distinctive features or qualities of something; to be typical of.
From Greek 'kharaktēr' meaning 'stamped mark, distinctive quality', through French 'caractériser'. Originally referred to marks stamped on coins, then extended to distinctive qualities of people or things.
The root connection to stamped marks on coins reveals how we understand identity - as something pressed into us that becomes our distinctive signature. This metaphor persists in how we talk about 'character building' and 'leaving our mark' on the world.
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