Describes or defines the special qualities that make someone or something distinctive; portrays someone as having certain characteristics.
From Late Latin characterizare (to mark with a character), from Greek charaktēr (engraved mark, distinctive quality) plus -ize (verb-forming suffix). The form shown is third-person singular present tense.
When you say 'What characterizes a good friend?' you're asking what special qualities or marks define friendship—the root word 'character' is literally a mark or stamp that makes something uniquely itself.
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