Describing or defining the distinctive qualities that make someone or something unique; the act of portraying someone as having certain characteristics.
Present participle of characterize, formed by adding -ing. From the same Greek root charaktēr meaning 'distinctive mark' or 'engraved quality.'
The -ing form of characterize captures an ongoing process—like when an author is characterizing a villain throughout a novel, gradually revealing what makes them distinctive and memorable through their actions and choices.
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