Word a Day
characteristic
What does characteristic mean?
characteristic (noun): a distinguishing feature of a person or thing, a part of mental or physical behavior.
Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
How do you use characteristic in a sentence?
- Generosity is one of his best characteristics. (Princeton WordNet 3.1)
How do you pronounce characteristic?
/ˌkɛɹəktəˈɹɪstɪk/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does characteristic come from?
From Ancient Greek χαρακτηριστικός (kharaktēristikós), from χαρακτηρίζω (kharaktērízō, “to designate by a characteristic mark”).
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What are synonyms of characteristic?
From Princeton WordNet 3.1.
Test yourself: do you know “characteristic”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “characteristic” mean?
a distinguishing feature of a person or thing, a part of mental or physical behavior
Right! That's what “characteristic” means.
an extreme attainment; the best (or worst) performance ever attested (as in a sport)
Not quite: that's what record means.
a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
Not quite: that's what car means.
the foremost side of something or the end that faces the direction it normally moves
Not quite: that's what front means.
Which word is closest in meaning to “characteristic”?
feature
Right!
service
Not quite: service means something else.
country
Not quite: country means something else.
company
Not quite: company means something else.
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