CHARACTERISTIC Synonyms: 149 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'characteristic' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of characteristic are distinctive , individual , and peculiar . While all these words mean "indicating a special quality or identity," characteristic applies to something that distinguishes or identifies a person or thing or class. // responded with her characteristic wit

Q: When could 'distinctive' be used to replace 'characteristic'?

While in some cases nearly identical to characteristic , distinctive indicates qualities distinguishing and uncommon and often superior or praiseworthy. // a distinctive aura of grace and elegance

Q: When can 'individual' be used instead of 'characteristic'?

Although the words individual and characteristic have much in common, individual stresses qualities that distinguish one from all other members of the same kind or class. // a highly individual writing style

Q: When might 'peculiar' be a better fit than 'characteristic'?

The meanings of peculiar and characteristic largely overlap; however, peculiar applies to qualities possessed only by a particular individual or class or kind and stresses rarity or uniqueness. // an eccentricity that is peculiar to the British

characteristic 1 of 2

noun

ˌker-ik-tə-ˈri-stik

Definition of characteristic

as in trait

something that sets apart an individual from others of the same kind the ability to fashion tools and other characteristics that distinguish human beings from other animals

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

characteristic

2 of 2

adjective

as in distinctive

serving to identify as belonging to an individual or group the characteristic taste of licorice

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in typical

having or showing the qualities associated with the members of a particular group or kind the characteristic wit and good-naturedness of the Irish

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective characteristic contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of characteristic are distinctive, individual, and peculiar. While all these words mean "indicating a special quality or identity," characteristic applies to something that distinguishes or identifies a person or thing or class.

responded with her characteristic wit

When could distinctive be used to replace characteristic?

While in some cases nearly identical to characteristic, distinctive indicates qualities distinguishing and uncommon and often superior or praiseworthy.

a distinctive aura of grace and elegance

When can individual be used instead of characteristic?

Although the words individual and characteristic have much in common, individual stresses qualities that distinguish one from all other members of the same kind or class.

a highly individual writing style

When might peculiar be a better fit than characteristic?

The meanings of peculiar and characteristic largely overlap; however, peculiar applies to qualities possessed only by a particular individual or class or kind and stresses rarity or uniqueness.

an eccentricity that is peculiar to the British

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of characteristic

Noun

Companies like Flock allow users to conduct searches based on characteristics like vehicle make, model and color, as well as other distinctive vehicle features like dents and stickers. — Abigail Hall, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2026 Against Mexico, those characteristics were the difference between both teams. — Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Adjective

In 1933, for instance, comedy troupe the Marx Brothers unveiled the name of their production company, with a characteristic wink, as International Amalgamated Consolidated Affiliated World Wide Film Productions Company Incorporated, of North Dakota. — Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2026 This haircut still emphasizes the characteristic center-part bangs and layers of the shag cut in a softer, sleeker way and with a longer length. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for characteristic

Recent Examples of Synonyms for characteristic

Noun

Each planet has its own little traits that affect how races can play out, once again playing into that idea of futuristic racing across a galaxy.

— Hayes Madsen, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
The abilities that gain value are traits of the creative class.

— Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of trait

Adjective

Resnikoff fully inhabits the role of Jaku, giving him a distinctive and consistent voice, posture and temperament.

— Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
Los Feliz’s Shakespeare Bridge, a 262-foot span with Gothic-style arches and eight distinctive turrets, is approaching its 100th anniversary.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of distinctive

Adjective

Ironically, the one spot where Dearborn Park genuinely engages the cityscape is along the west side of State south of Roosevelt where a row of single-family homes follows Chicago’s typical development pattern.

— Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
While not your typical sneaker moment, the shoe blended the comfort of a casual sneaker with all the style and swagger of a high heel.

— Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of typical

Noun

Some robo-advisors offer more customization and features, such as tax-loss harvesting, which uses losses to offset other portfolio gains, or automatic rebalancing.

— Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,Kelli Grant, CFP®, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Hennekam remembers that patient to be 8 or 9, with distinctive features.

— Deepa Fernandes, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of feature

Adjective

But even with 22 tracks to work with, the sound too often defaults to a similar muted backdrop, which blurs some of the less distinct songs together.

— Molly Mary O’Brien, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026
The rooms are designed for gathering, whether that's at the music venue, on the rooftop bar, or in one of the other distinct dining experiences.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of distinct

Adjective

The free trial associated with this subscription will be appended to the standard duration of access, and the promotion used for this subscription will be applied at the first renewal.

— Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026
At the same time, her brows maintained their standard fullness, and her lips were lined in brown.

— Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of standard

Browse Nearby Words

charactering

characteristic

characteristics

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Characteristic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characteristic. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of characteristic

noun

adjective

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