Characterization
noun
The act of describing the character or qualities of someone or something.
The characterization of the protagonist in the novel is very detailed.
Often appears as...
- detailed characterization
- novel's characterization
Usage tips
Literary
noun
The way a writer shows the personality of a character in a story.
The author's characterization of the villain was horrifyingly realistic.
Often appears as...
- author's characterization
- vivid characterization
Usage tips
Literary
noun
The process of understanding and explaining the behavior and properties of a substance.
The characterization of the new material will give us an understanding of its potential uses.
Often appears as...
- material characterization
- scientific characterization
Usage tips
Technical
noun
The act of describing the character or qualities of someone or something.
The characterization of the protagonist in the novel is very detailed.
Often appears as...
- detailed characterization
- novel's characterization
Usage tips
Literary
noun
The way a writer shows the personality of a character in a story.
The author's characterization of the villain was horrifyingly realistic.
Often appears as...
- author's characterization
- vivid characterization
Usage tips
Literary
noun
The process of understanding and explaining the behavior and properties of a substance.
The characterization of the new material will give us an understanding of its potential uses.
Often appears as...
- material characterization
- scientific characterization
Usage tips
Technical
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Literary Depth
Characterization adds depth to characters and makes them more relatable or understandable to the reader.
The careful characterization of the heroine made her struggles feel very personal.
Pro Tip 2/3Beyond Appearances
Characterization often involves revealing characters' inner thoughts, feelings, and motivations, not just their actions.
Through subtle characterization, we learn the hero is afraid of failure despite his brave front.
Pro Tip 3/3Literature Analysis
When analyzing literature, look at characterization to understand the themes and messages of the work.
The author’s characterization of the wasteland reflects the desolation of the characters' lives.
Compare with
definitiondelineatedepictdescriptionillustrationinterpretportrayalrepresentation
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Video examples
On exploring the oceans...
characterization of what it would look like if you could remove the water it gives you the false impression it's a map it is not a map fact I commonly ask people have another version of my office and I ask people why are there mountains here on this area here but there none over here and they go well it's you'd
Video examples
Richard Ledgett: The NSA...
There's takeoffs of our logo of an eagle with headphones on around it. And so that's the public characterization. And so we need to be more transparent about those things. What we don't need to be transparent about, because it's bad for the U.S., it's bad for all those other countries that we work with
Video examples
Can stereotypes ever be...
were significantly more industrious, intelligent, and gentle than their peers. On the surface, this might seem like a good thing, or at least better than other, negative characterizations. But treating this seemingly favorable stereotype as reality can actually cause a surprising amount of harm—
Video examples
Reimagining Dinosaurs PIPE...
dinosaurs in the last couple decades uh than in the previous couple of centuries in part because of new fossil discoveries and in part because of uh new methods in the science do you buy that is that is that a fair characterization of where the field is and um for you what do you think the
Video examples
Safari Live - Day 146 PIPE...
enthusiastically performing the way that Lions do best but nevertheless we shall assist them and perhaps we shall even be able to give them some kind of characterization I don't think we've quite got a handle on who's who is amongst the coalition I
Video examples
Maria Bezaitis: The...
so do their relations with other people. And yet recommendation system after recommendation system continues to miss the boat. It continues to try to predict what I need based on some past characterization of who I am, of what I've already done.
Video examples
What does it take to...
lexicon you can have even more fun with the language and casteth in the language I developed for Syfy's defiance I used linguistic evolution as a characterization tool as a way of basically giving insight into the
Video examples
4 ways we can avoid a...
But that characterization of seawater desalination as being a nonstarter is hopelessly out of date. We've made tremendous progress in seawater desalination in the past two decades. This picture shows you
Video examples
Real-Life Vampires Hunt...
is a in some ways a fair characterization but it's also important to note these are totally fascinating animals that are completely and perfectly adapted to their lifestyle of feeding just on blood
Video examples
Michael Rain: What it's...
that you might be surprised how critical we are to your histories and future. So, engage us in conversation; discover who immigrants actually are, and see us apart from characterizations
Video examples
On exploring the oceans...
characterization of what it would look like if you could remove the water it gives you the false impression it's a map it is not a map fact I commonly ask people have another version of my office and I ask people why are there mountains here on this area here but there none over here and they go well it's you'd
Video examples
Richard Ledgett: The NSA...
There's takeoffs of our logo of an eagle with headphones on around it. And so that's the public characterization. And so we need to be more transparent about those things. What we don't need to be transparent about, because it's bad for the U.S., it's bad for all those other countries that we work with
Video examples
Can stereotypes ever be...
were significantly more industrious, intelligent, and gentle than their peers. On the surface, this might seem like a good thing, or at least better than other, negative characterizations. But treating this seemingly favorable stereotype as reality can actually cause a surprising amount of harm—
Video examples
Reimagining Dinosaurs PIPE...
dinosaurs in the last couple decades uh than in the previous couple of centuries in part because of new fossil discoveries and in part because of uh new methods in the science do you buy that is that is that a fair characterization of where the field is and um for you what do you think the
Video examples
Safari Live - Day 146 PIPE...
enthusiastically performing the way that Lions do best but nevertheless we shall assist them and perhaps we shall even be able to give them some kind of characterization I don't think we've quite got a handle on who's who is amongst the coalition I
Video examples
Maria Bezaitis: The...
so do their relations with other people. And yet recommendation system after recommendation system continues to miss the boat. It continues to try to predict what I need based on some past characterization of who I am, of what I've already done.
Video examples
What does it take to...
lexicon you can have even more fun with the language and casteth in the language I developed for Syfy's defiance I used linguistic evolution as a characterization tool as a way of basically giving insight into the
Video examples
4 ways we can avoid a...
But that characterization of seawater desalination as being a nonstarter is hopelessly out of date. We've made tremendous progress in seawater desalination in the past two decades. This picture shows you
Video examples
Real-Life Vampires Hunt...
is a in some ways a fair characterization but it's also important to note these are totally fascinating animals that are completely and perfectly adapted to their lifestyle of feeding just on blood
Video examples
Michael Rain: What it's...
that you might be surprised how critical we are to your histories and future. So, engage us in conversation; discover who immigrants actually are, and see us apart from characterizations
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
J. D. Vance
American Author
In some ways, Trump's large, national coalition defies easy characterization. He draws from a broad base of good people: kind folks who open their homes and hearts to people of all colors and creeds, married couples with happy homes and families who live nearby, public servants who put their lives on the line to fight fires in their communities.
Quote examples
Tom Hanks
American Actor
Now, learning how to make a movie is something you can figure out in about an afternoon. The physics of it, the marks, the lights, etc. What's hard to do is to suspend your own feelings of self consciousness. The natural actors can do that; they can become part of a characterization and learn how to maintain it.
Quote examples
Juliet Marillier
New Zealander Writer
There are technical tricks that may help you create more effective characters. My approach to characterization is not at all technical. I can't really analyze how I do it, but I am sure of one thing. To write convincing characters, you must possess the ability to think yourself into someone else's skin.
Quote examples
Garth Stein
American Author
The craft of writing is all the stuff that you can learn through school; go to workshops and read books. Learn characterization, plot and dialogue and pacing and word choice and point of view. Then there's also the art of it which is sort of the unknown, the inspiration, the stuff that is noncerebral.
Quote examples
George Pierce Baker
American Educator
The instinct to impersonate produces the actor; the desire to provide pleasure by impersonations produces the playwright; the desire to provide this pleasure with adequate characterization and dialogue memorable in itself produces dramatic literature.
Quote examples
Jacqueline Susann
American Author
The second draft is on yellow paper, that's when I work on characterizations. The third is pink, I work on story motivations. Then blue, that's where I cut, cut, cut.
Quote examples
Justin Cronin
American Author
My theory of characterization is basically this: Put some dirt on a hero, and put some sunshine on the villain, one brush stroke of beauty on the villain.
Quote examples
H. Jon Benjamin
American Actor
I don't consider myself a very good actor. I'm not bad, but there's not a lot of range in characterizations for me.
Quote examples
John Bolton
American Statesman
I don't much believe in bumper sticker characterizations of foreign policy.
Quote examples
Robert Ludlum
American Novelist
Characterization is integral to the theatrical experience.
Quote examples
J. D. Vance
American Author
In some ways, Trump's large, national coalition defies easy characterization. He draws from a broad base of good people: kind folks who open their homes and hearts to people of all colors and creeds, married couples with happy homes and families who live nearby, public servants who put their lives on the line to fight fires in their communities.
Quote examples
Tom Hanks
American Actor
Now, learning how to make a movie is something you can figure out in about an afternoon. The physics of it, the marks, the lights, etc. What's hard to do is to suspend your own feelings of self consciousness. The natural actors can do that; they can become part of a characterization and learn how to maintain it.
Quote examples
Juliet Marillier
New Zealander Writer
There are technical tricks that may help you create more effective characters. My approach to characterization is not at all technical. I can't really analyze how I do it, but I am sure of one thing. To write convincing characters, you must possess the ability to think yourself into someone else's skin.
Quote examples
Garth Stein
American Author
The craft of writing is all the stuff that you can learn through school; go to workshops and read books. Learn characterization, plot and dialogue and pacing and word choice and point of view. Then there's also the art of it which is sort of the unknown, the inspiration, the stuff that is noncerebral.
Quote examples
George Pierce Baker
American Educator
The instinct to impersonate produces the actor; the desire to provide pleasure by impersonations produces the playwright; the desire to provide this pleasure with adequate characterization and dialogue memorable in itself produces dramatic literature.
Quote examples
Jacqueline Susann
American Author
The second draft is on yellow paper, that's when I work on characterizations. The third is pink, I work on story motivations. Then blue, that's where I cut, cut, cut.
Quote examples
Justin Cronin
American Author
My theory of characterization is basically this: Put some dirt on a hero, and put some sunshine on the villain, one brush stroke of beauty on the villain.
Quote examples
H. Jon Benjamin
American Actor
I don't consider myself a very good actor. I'm not bad, but there's not a lot of range in characterizations for me.
Quote examples
John Bolton
American Statesman
I don't much believe in bumper sticker characterizations of foreign policy.
Quote examples
Robert Ludlum
American Novelist
Characterization is integral to the theatrical experience.
Example 1 of 10
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