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   Char·ac·ter

   /ˈker(ə)ktər/

   

   noun

   • 1. the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual: "running away was not in keeping with her character" Similar personalitynaturedispositiontemperamenttempermentalityturn of mindpsychologypsycheconstitutionmakeupmakestampmoldcastpersonaattributesfeaturesqualitiespropertiestraitsessential qualityessencesum and substanceindividualityidentitydistinctivenessuniquenessspiritethoscomplexionkeytonetenorambienceairaurafeelfeelingvibrationsinformal:kidneyarchaic:humorgrain
   • ▪ the distinctive nature of something: "gas lamps give the area its character" Similar personalitynaturedispositiontemperamenttempermentalityturn of mindpsychologypsycheconstitutionmakeupmakestampmoldcastpersonaattributesfeaturesqualitiespropertiestraitsessential qualityessencesum and substanceindividualityidentitydistinctivenessuniquenessspiritethoscomplexionkeytonetenorambienceairaurafeelfeelingvibrationsinformal:kidneyarchaic:humorgrain
   • ▪ the quality of being individual in an interesting or unusual way: "the island is full of character"
   • ▪ strength and originality in a person's nature: "she had character as well as beauty" Similar integrityhonormoral strengthmoral fiberrectitudeuprightnessfortitudestrengthspinebackbonetoughnessresolvewill powerfirmness of purposeinformal:gritgutsgutsinessgumptionbottle
   • ▪ a person's good reputation: "to what do I owe this attack on my character?" Similar reputationnamegood namestandingstaturepositionstatusimagecredibilityacceptabilityprestigecachetkudoseminenceizzatarchaic:report
   • ▪ a written statement of someone's good qualities; a recommendation: dated "you are dismissed without a character"
   • 2. a person in a novel, play, or movie: "the author's compassionate identification with his characters" Similar personapersonrolepartdramatis personae
   • ▪ a part played by an actor: "the actor's TV character is often on the wrong side of the law" Similar personapersonrolepartdramatis personae
   • ▪ a person seen in terms of a particular aspect of character: "he was a larger-than-life character"
   • ▪ an interesting or amusing individual: informal "he's a real character" Similar eccentricoddityodd fellowmadcapcrankoriginalindividualistnonconformistrare birdsquare peg in a round holeinformal:oddballoneodd bodonerqueer fishodd fishinformal, dated:cardcautioncaserare:rara avis
   • 3. a printed or written letter or symbol.
   • ▪ a symbol representing a letter or number. Similar letterfiguresymbolsignmarktypecipherdevicehieroglyphrunetechnical:grapheme
   • 4. a characteristic, especially one that assists in the identification of a species.

   verb

   • 1. inscribe; engrave. archaic
   • ▪ describe; characterize: archaic "you have well charactered him"

   Word Origin Middle English: from Old French caractere, via Latin from Greek kharaktēr ‘a stamping tool’. From the early sense ‘distinctive mark’ arose ‘token, feature, or trait’ (early 16th century), and from this ‘a description, especially of a person's qualities’, giving rise to ‘distinguishing qualities’.

   Derivatives

   • 1. characterless adjective

   Scrabble Points: 16

   • C

     3

   • H

     4

   • A

     1

   • R

     1

   • A

     1

   • C

     3

   • T

     1

   • E

     1

   • R

     1

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