How to Use characteristic in a Sentence

characteristic

1 of 2 noun
Definition of characteristicnext
Synonyms for characteristicnext
  • None had more than two of the top seven characteristics on the list.
    — Julie Giuffrida, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2023
  • Stockdale was asked, what was the characteristic of the ones who did not make it out of the prison camp?
    — Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2020
  • The size and characteristics of the stream also are a factor.
    — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 17 Nov. 2019
  • And all these places have their unique quirks and characteristics.
    — Shivani Vora, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023
  • The defining characteristic of the straw is the emptiness inside it.
    — Alexis C. Madrigal, The Atlantic, 21 June 2018
  • The defining characteristic of the green that runs away from you is the bunker that protects all of the front hole locations.
    — Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2023
  • And that's a characteristic that is very true to #cloglife.
    — Tatum Dooley, Teen Vogue, 22 Aug. 2019
  • And every one of those characteristics applied to those who are serving us in the armed forces.
    — Tod Leonard, sandiegouniontribune.com, 28 June 2017
  • The best open kitchen designs share a few key characteristics.
    — Alyssa Longobucco, House Beautiful, 1 June 2023
  • The weight and flying characteristics — long and able to be curved, short and straight — vary by disc.
    — Phil Arvia, Daily Southtown, 27 Apr. 2017
  • That has been a key characteristic of this team all season.
    — Orion Sang, Detroit Free Press, 19 Feb. 2021
  • Toughness wasn’t the first characteristic that came to mind.
    — James Crepea | The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, 13 Sep. 2021
  • Knowing the characteristics of the different types can make or break a project.
    — Nancy Keates, WSJ, 8 Mar. 2018
  • Each has its own characteristics that will transfer flavor to the food.
    — Nancy Stohs, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 29 May 2018
  • The second characteristic of denial is the use of fake experts.
    — Jonathan M. Berman, STAT, 9 Sep. 2020
  • Tara Greene, who helped the brand describe the defining characteristics of the star signs.
    — Shannon Barbour, The Cut, 18 Apr. 2018
  • Tell-tale characteristics of a dry cough include a tickle in the throat and hacking sounds.
    — Nicole Harris, Parents, 24 Aug. 2023
  • That would be an unfair characteristic of how hard our kids played.
    — Greg Luca, ExpressNews.com, 23 Oct. 2020
  • But for this transformation to occur, the surge will need to have the right characteristics.
    — James Manyika and Michael Spence, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023
  • What are some of the characteristics that are shared by cities who are becoming stronger problem-solvers in this new age?
    — Sandra Shea, Philly.com, 19 Jan. 2018
  • Ups and downs are characteristic of the tourism industry.
    — Manavi Kapur, Quartz India, 30 Sep. 2019
  • There is no way to know which characteristics will carry on to the next generation.
    — Lauren David, Washington Post, 3 Oct. 2023
  • The lies, a defining characteristic of the Trump years, are piling up yet again.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN, 4 Oct. 2020
  • It was crafted by a forensic artist using characteristics of the skull.
    — Travis Fedschun, Fox News, 19 Sep. 2018
  • Instead, scientists look to characteristics of a plant to give it a name.
    — Stacey Leasca, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2020
  • The result is that black rum shares taste characteristics with your favorite whiskeys, but with a touch more sweetness.
    — Nikita Richardson, Bon Appetit, 15 Feb. 2017
  • The prosthetic can then be tailored to the child's wrist movement, palm characteristics and switched out as the child grows.
    — William Thornton, AL.com, 17 Oct. 2017
  • This characteristic gives the shade a distinct milder hue versus an intense black.
    — Joanna Saltz, House Beautiful, 9 May 2023
  • Each galaxy has its own unique set of features and characteristics.
    — Jennifer Leman, Popular Mechanics, 18 Apr. 2020
  • That passion for getting the job done and that's her defining characteristic.
    — CBS News, 30 Nov. 2022
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characteristic

2 of 2 adjective
  • He responded to their comments with characteristic good humor.
  • Note the paleness of the bird instead of the characteristic deep pink the species is known for.
    — Taylor Piephoff, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
  • The characteristic sound of the flat-six floods the cabin through the unique intake path.
    — Michael Harley, Robb Report, 23 Mar. 2022
  • Turn and face it with your characteristic sparkle and glow.
    — Bess Matassa, Teen Vogue, 7 Apr. 2018
  • This is characteristic of flakes formed up high in warmer air.
    — Michael Hill, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Mar. 2018
  • Soak them in water to rinse out that funk, and the radish loses some of its characteristic bite.
    — Ali Bouzari, SFChronicle.com, 22 June 2018
  • These substances are deposited in the characteristic pattern of the ridges present on the finger tip of the donor.
    — Melanie Bailey, Scientific American, 27 Apr. 2018
  • But the woman didn’t have the characteristic tangles of tau.
    — Katherine Ellen Foley, Quartz, 4 Nov. 2019
  • The move was also deeply characteristic of the first lady.
    — Jackie Mansky, Smithsonian, 11 Oct. 2017
  • This species of moth creates the characteristic webbed nests that show up on tree limbs throughout the late summer and fall.
    — Kelly O'Sullivan, Country Living, 7 Aug. 2017
  • This species of moth creates the characteristic webbed nests that show up on tree limbs throughout the late summer and fall.
    — Kelly O'Sullivan, Country Living, 7 Aug. 2017
  • With her characteristic wit and charm, Cho set a lovely tone for the evening.
    — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 15 Sep. 2023
  • And the examples above are likely to become less anomalous and more characteristic in the months and years to come.
    — Deena Shakir, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2021
  • But the case of how early primates evolved some of their most characteristic traits isn’t closed just yet.
    — Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Nov. 2022
  • The shape of these field lines give the solar wind its characteristic properties.
    — Chris Lee, Ars Technica, 23 Aug. 2019
  • The characteristic colors and swirling veins of marble never go out of style.
    — Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2023
  • By Air—and on and on and on—every day with characteristic ease.
    — The Editors Of Gq Style, GQ, 24 Oct. 2017
  • But the argument in the book is both pointed and characteristic of Reed.
    — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2022
  • One characteristic trait of men's swim trunks is the mesh liner, but not all swimsuits have it.
    — Men's Health, 30 Jan. 2023
  • The characteristic symptom of shingles is a painful rash, which often wraps around the left or right side of your torso.
    — Korin Miller, SELF, 6 Apr. 2018
  • More characteristic are views in which the ocean is unframed by land, and sometimes not even sky.
    — Washington Post, 22 Apr. 2022
  • In the past, did quick chemical tests for cannabinoids and look for characteristic hairs that should be present on any pot plants.
    — Keri Blakinger, Houston Chronicle, 3 July 2019
  • From the thick chaparral comes the characteristic cooing sound that is only made by males.
    — San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Mar. 2022
  • Gluten is the stringy strands that give bread dough its stretch and elasticity, and baked bread its characteristic chew.
    — Claire Saffitz, Bon Appetit, 19 Aug. 2017
  • Gluten is the stringy strands that give bread dough its stretch and elasticity, and baked bread its characteristic chew.
    — Claire Saffitz, Bon Appetit, 8 Aug. 2017
  • When part of the heart doesn’t get enough blood, the EKG has characteristic changes.
    — Dr. Keith Roach, oregonlive, 17 Aug. 2023
  • The moment is characteristic: thoughtful about his lack of thought.
    — Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2023
  • Blunt ends and a slight taper are characteristic of bear turds, which tend to be less uniform in shape than those of big grazers like elk and moose.
    — Steven Hill, Field & Stream, 29 Nov. 2023
  • The idea behind it is that a monogram print is characteristic of luxury items.
    — Felipe Delerme, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2020
  • The ironic tone is characteristic of Morselli’s books, but there is a nervous edge to the joke.
    — Alejandro Chacoff, The New Yorker, 28 Dec. 2020

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'characteristic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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