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Definitions of character [ˈkær ɪk tər]

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Definition of 'character'

Random House Webster's College Dictionary

1. (n.) character
the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of a person or thing.

2.  character
one such feature or trait; characteristic.

3.  character
moral or ethical quality:
a woman of strong character.

4.  character
qualities of honesty, fortitude, etc.; integrity.

5.  character
reputation:
a stain on one's character.

6.  character
distinctive, often interesting qualities:
an old pub with a lot of character.

7.  character
a person, esp. with reference to behavior or personality:
a suspicious character.

8.  character
an odd, eccentric, or unusual person.

9.  character
a person represented in a drama, story, etc.

10.  character
a role, as in a play or film.

11.  character
status or capacity:
in his character of a justice of the peace.

12.  character
a symbol used in a system of writing:
Chinese characters.

13.  character
a significant visual mark or symbol.

14.  character
an account of a person's qualities, abilities, etc.; reference.

15.  character
(in 17th- and 18th-century literature) a sketch of a particular virtue or vice represented in a person or type.

16.  character
any trait, function, structure, or substance of an organism resulting from the effect of one or more genes.

17.  character
any encoded unit of computer-usable data representing a symbol, as a letter, number, or puncuation mark, or a space, carriage return, etc.

18.  character
a cipher or cipher message.

19. (adj.) character
(of a theatrical role) having or requiring eccentric, comedic, ethnic, or other distinctive traits.

20.  character
(of an actor) acting or specializing in such roles.

21. (v.t. Archaic.) character
to portray; describe.

22.  character
to engrave; inscribe.

23.  character
in accord with (or in violation of) one's usual behavior and disposition.

24.  character
in accordance with (or deviating from) behavior appropriate to the role assumed by an actor.

Etymology: (1275–1325; ME caractere < MF < L

Definition of 'character'

Princeton's WordNet

1. (noun) fictional character, fictitious character, character
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
"she is the main character in the novel"

2. (noun) quality, character, lineament
a characteristic property that defines the apparent individual nature of something
"each town has a quality all its own"; "the radical character of our demands"

3. (noun) character, fiber, fibre
the inherent complex of attributes that determines a persons moral and ethical actions and reactions
"education has for its object the formation of character"- Herbert Spencer

4. (noun) character, role, theatrical role, part, persona
an actor's portrayal of someone in a play
"she played the part of Desdemona"

5. (noun) character, eccentric, type, case
a person of a specified kind (usually with many eccentricities)
"a real character"; "a strange character"; "a friendly eccentric"; "the capable type"; "a mental case"

6. (noun) character
good repute
"he is a man of character"

7. (noun) character, reference, character reference
a formal recommendation by a former employer to a potential future employer describing the person's qualifications and dependability
"requests for character references are all too often answered evasively"

8. (noun) character, grapheme, graphic symbol
a written symbol that is used to represent speech
"the Greek alphabet has 24 characters"

9. (verb) character
(genetics) an attribute (structural or functional) that is determined by a gene or group of genes

10. (verb) character
engrave or inscribe characters on

Definition of 'character'

Kernerman English Learner’s Dictionary

1. (noun) character
a person in a book, movie, etc.

2.  character
play a character
to act a particular part in a play, movie etc.
He plays the character of Benny.

3.  character
qualities that make a person or place unique; = personality
a side of her character we hadn't seen; to have a strong/weak character; the changing character of Mexican society; two schools that are very similar/different in character

4.  character
out of character for sb
unusual behavior for sb
Yelling is completely out of character for her.

5.  character
sb of a particular kind
a suspicious-looking character

6.  character
emotional and mental strength
Climbing can be a real test of character.; an activity that builds character

7.  character
a written or printed letter or symbol
Japanese characters

Definition of 'character'

Webster Dictionary

1. (noun) character
a distinctive mark; a letter, figure, or symbol

2. (noun) character
style of writing or printing; handwriting; the peculiar form of letters used by a particular person or people; as, an inscription in the Runic character

3. (noun) character
the peculiar quality, or the sum of qualities, by which a person or a thing is distinguished from others; the stamp impressed by nature, education, or habit; that which a person or thing really is; nature; disposition

4. (noun) character
strength of mind; resolution; independence; individuality; as, he has a great deal of character

5. (noun) character
moral quality; the principles and motives that control the life; as, a man of character; his character saves him from suspicion

6. (noun) character
quality, position, rank, or capacity; quality or conduct with respect to a certain office or duty; as, in the miserable character of a slave; in his character as a magistrate; her character as a daughter

7. (noun) character
the estimate, individual or general, put upon a person or thing; reputation; as, a man's character for truth and veracity; to give one a bad character

8. (noun) character
a written statement as to behavior, competency, etc., given to a servant

9. (noun) character
a unique or extraordinary individuality; a person characterized by peculiar or notable traits; a person who illustrates certain phases of character; as, Randolph was a character; Caesar is a great historical character

10. (noun) character
one of the persons of a drama or novel

11. (verb) character
to engrave; to inscribe

12. (verb) character
to distinguish by particular marks or traits; to describe; to characterize

Definition of 'character'

U.S. National Library of Medicine

1. character
In current usage, approximately equivalent to personality. The sum of the relatively fixed personality traits and habitual modes of response of an individual.

Translation of 'character'

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary

Sense: the set of qualities that make someone or something different from others; type You can tell a man's character from his handwriting; Publicity of this character is not good for the firm.
Afrikaans: karakter	Arabic: شَخْصِيَّه	Bulgarian: нрав
Brazilian: caráter	Czech: povaha, charakter	German: der Charakter
Danish: egenskab; personlighed	Greek: χαρακτήρας	Spanish: carácter
Estonian: iseloom	Farsi: شخصیت؛ منش	Finnish: luonne
French: caractère; genre	Hebrew: תְכוּנָה	Hindi: प्रकार
Croatian: karakter, značajka	Hungarian: jelleg	Indonesian: watak
Icelandic: skapgerð, lunderni	Italian: carattere, genere	Japanese: 性格
Korean: 성격	Lithuanian: charakteris	Latvian: raksturs
Malay: watak	Dutch: karakter	Norwegian: (egen)art, natur, karakte
Polish: charakter	Persian: شخصیت؛ منش	Pashto: كيفيت يا بڼه: تورى: سيمبو
Portuguese: carácter	Romanian: fire; gen	Russian: характер
Slovak: povaha	Slovenian: značaj; vrsta	Serbian: karakter
Swedish: karaktär, natur, beskaffe	Thai: คุณลักษณะเด่น	Turkish: kişilik, karakter
Taiwanese: 性格	Ukrainian: характер; тип	Urdu: کردار
Vietnamese: tính cách	Chinese: 特征
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'character' - Nearby Entries
character character actor character assassination character-at-a-time printer characterisation characterise characterised

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