What does CHARACTER mean?
Definitions for CHARACTER
ˈkær ɪk tərchar·ac·ter
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word CHARACTER.
Princeton's WordNet
fictional character, fictitious character, characternoun
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
"she is the main character in the novel"
quality, character, lineamentnoun
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"
character, fiber, fibrenoun
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
character, role, theatrical role, part, personanoun
an actor's portrayal of someone in a play
"she played the part of Desdemona"
character, eccentric, type, casenoun
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"
characternoun
good repute
"he is a man of character"
character, reference, character referencenoun
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"
character, grapheme, graphic symbolnoun
a written symbol that is used to represent speech
"the Greek alphabet has 24 characters"
characterverb
(genetics) an attribute (structural or functional) that is determined by a gene or group of genes
characterverb
engrave or inscribe characters on
Wiktionary
characternoun
A being involved in the action of a story.
characternoun
A written or printed symbol, or letter
characternoun
A distinguishing feature; characteristic; A complex of mental and ethical traits marking a person or a group.
A study of the suspect's character and his cast iron alibi ruled him out.
characternoun
A moral strength.
"You may not like to eat liver," said Calvin's father, "but it builds character."
characternoun
A person with many notable or eccentric features.
characternoun
A complex number representing an element of a finite Abelian group.
characternoun
One of the basic elements making up a text file or string: a code representing a printing character or a control character.
characternoun
A person or individual, especially one who is unknown or raises suspicions.
We saw a shady character slinking out of the office with some papers.
characterverb
To write (using characters); To describe
Etymology: From caracter, from caractere, from character, from χαρακτήρ, from χαράσσω.
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
CHARACTERnoun
Etymology: character, Lat. χαϱαϰτὴϱ.
In outward also her resembling less
His image, who made both; and less expressing
The character of that dominion giv’n
O’er other creatures. Paradise Lost, b. viii. l. 542.But his neat cookery! ————
He cut our roots in characters. William Shakespeare, Cymbeline.The purpose is perspicuous even as substance,
Whose grossness little characters sum up. William Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida.It were much to be wished, that there were throughout the world but one sort of character for each letter, to express it to the eye; and that exactly proportioned to the natural alphabet formed in the mouth. William Holder, Elements of Speech.
I found the letter thrown in at the casement of my closet. ——
You know the character to be your brother’s. William Shakespeare, King Lear.Each drew fair characters, yet none
Of these they feign’d, excels their own. John Denham.This subterraneous passage is much mended, since Seneca gave so bad a character of it. Joseph Addison, on Italy.
In a tragedy, or epick poem, the hero of the piece must be advanced foremost to the view of the reader or spectator; he must outshine the rest of all the characters; he must appear the prince of them, like the sun in the Copernican system, encompassed with the less noble planets. John Dryden, Dufresnoy.
has excelled all the heroick poets that ever wrote, in the multitude and variety of his characters; every god that is admitted into his poem, acts a part which would have been suitable to no other deity. Joseph Addison, Spectator, №. 273.
Nothing so true as what you once let fall,
Most women have no characters at all. Alexander Pope.The chief honour of the magistrate consists in maintaining the dignity of his character by suitable actions. Francis Atterbury.
To Characterverb
To inscribe; to engrave.
Etymology: from the noun.
These few precepts in thy memory
See thou character. William Shakespeare, Hamlet.Shew me one scar character’d on thy skin. William Shakespeare, H. VI.
O Rosalind! these trees shall be my books,
And in their barks my thoughts I’ll character. William Shakespeare, As you like it.
ChatGPT
character
A character can be defined as a fictional or non-fictional entity within a narrative (such as a story, movie, play, or game) that serves as a focal point or participant in the events occurring. Characters can possess traits, qualities, and attributes that shape their behavior, motivations, and relationships with other characters. They often play specific roles, contribute to the plot, and undergo development or change throughout the narrative. Characters can be human, animals, objects, or even symbolic representations.
Webster Dictionary
Characternoun
a distinctive mark; a letter, figure, or symbol
Characternoun
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
Characternoun
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
Characternoun
strength of mind; resolution; independence; individuality; as, he has a great deal of character
Characternoun
moral quality; the principles and motives that control the life; as, a man of character; his character saves him from suspicion
Characternoun
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
Characternoun
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
Characternoun
a written statement as to behavior, competency, etc., given to a servant
Characternoun
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
Characternoun
one of the persons of a drama or novel
Characterverb
to engrave; to inscribe
Characterverb
to distinguish by particular marks or traits; to describe; to characterize
Etymology: [L., an instrument for marking, character, Gr. , fr. to make sharp, to cut into furrows, to engrave: cf. F. caractre.]
Wikidata
Character
A character is a person in a narrative work of arts. Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr, the English word dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of "a part played by an actor" developed. Character, particularly when enacted by an actor in the theatre or cinema, involves "the illusion of being a human person." In literature, characters guide readers through their stories, helping them to understand plots and ponder themes. Since the end of the 18th century, the phrase "in character" has been used to describe an effective impersonation by an actor. Since the 19th century, the art of creating characters, as practised by actors or writers, has been called characterisation. A character who stands as a representative of a particular class or group of people is known as a type. Types include both stock characters and those that are more fully individualised. The characters in Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler and August Strindberg's Miss Julie, for example, are representative of specific positions in the social relations of class and gender, such that the conflicts between the characters reveal ideological conflicts.
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Character
kar′ak-tėr, n. a letter, sign, figure, stamp, or distinctive mark: a mark of any kind, a symbol in writing, &c.: writing generally, handwriting: a secret cipher: any essential feature or peculiarity: nature: (obs.) personal appearance: the aggregate of peculiar qualities which constitutes personal or national individuality: moral qualities especially, the reputation of possessing such: a formal statement of the qualities of a person who has been in one's service or employment: official position, rank, or status, or a person who has filled such: a person noted for eccentricity: a personality as created in a play or novel (Shak. Char′act).—v.t. to engrave, imprint, write: to represent, delineate, or describe.—n. Characterisā′tion.—v.t. Char′acterise, to describe by peculiar qualities: to distinguish or designate.—ns. Char′acterism; Characteris′tic, that which marks or constitutes the character.—adjs. Characteris′tic, -al, marking or constituting the peculiar nature.—adv. Characteris′tically.—adj. Char′acterless, without character or distinctive qualities.—ns. Char′acterlessness; Char′actery, writing: impression: that which is charactered.—In character, in harmony with the part assumed, appropriate, as a Character actor, one who tries to represent eccentricities. [Fr. caractère—L. character—Gr. charaktēr, from charass-ein, to cut, engrave.]
U.S. National Library of Medicine
Character
In current usage, approximately equivalent to personality. The sum of the relatively fixed personality traits and habitual modes of response of an individual.
Editors Contribution
Entomology
Character
a quality of form, color or structure.
Surnames Frequency by Census Records
CHARACTER
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Character is ranked #62531 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
The Character surname appeared 320 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 would have the surname Character.
76.2% or 244 total occurrences were Black.
22.5% or 72 total occurrences were White.
British National Corpus
Spoken Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'CHARACTER' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1176
Written Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'CHARACTER' in Written Corpus Frequency: #1567
Nouns Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'CHARACTER' in Nouns Frequency: #353
Usage in printed sourcesFrom:
- [["1505","1"],["1515","12"],["1520","4"],["1524","15"],["1563","18"],["1564","11"],["1568","4"],["1572","19"],["1574","37"],["1575","7"],["1579","7"],["1581","13"],["1582","29"],["1584","1"],["1587","36"],["1588","42"],["1589","3"],["1590","12"],["1592","4"],["1593","1"],["1594","1"],["1595","1"],["1600","61"],["1607","53"],["1611","11"],["1618","1"],["1620","15"],["1621","2"],["1623","2"],["1624","6"],["1626","3"],["1631","12"],["1634","12"],["1635","79"],["1637","49"],["1638","4"],["1641","2"],["1642","12"],["1643","3"],["1644","48"],["1645","31"],["1647","16"],["1648","161"],["1649","26"],["1650","1"],["1651","4"],["1652","2"],["1653","11"],["1654","1"],["1655","7"],["1656","3"],["1657","26"],["1658","21"],["1659","10"],["1660","4"],["1661","1"],["1662","13"],["1663","24"],["1664","25"],["1665","5"],["1667","6"],["1668","11"],["1669","72"],["1670","4"],["1671","6"],["1673","9"],["1674","2"],["1675","45"],["1676","18"],["1677","48"],["1678","8"],["1679","59"],["1680","75"],["1681","14"],["1682","16"],["1683","55"],["1684","45"],["1685","37"],["1686","31"],["1687","5"],["1688","42"],["1689","24"],["1690","1"],["1692","8"],["1693","15"],["1694","6"],["1695","3"],["1696","16"],["1697","33"],["1698","64"],["1699","18"],["1700","52"],["1701","52"],["1702","8"],["1703","24"],["1704","23"],["1705","23"],["1706","67"],["1707","19"],["1708","84"],["1709","26"],["1710","60"],["1711","37"],["1712","44"],["1713","58"],["1714","56"],["1715","19"],["1716","75"],["1717","89"],["1718","139"],["1719","43"],["1720","284"],["1721","220"],["1722","151"],["1723","76"],["1724","455"],["1725","166"],["1726","232"],["1727","322"],["1728","567"],["1729","431"],["1730","559"],["1731","451"],["1732","419"],["1733","332"],["1734","296"],["1735","232"],["1736","905"],["1737","398"],["1738","584"],["1739","186"],["1740","555"],["1741","257"],["1742","559"],["1743","660"],["1744","1236"],["1745","559"],["1746","467"],["1747","1000"],["1748","1134"],["1749","856"],["1750","1918"],["1751","1518"],["1752","1589"],["1753","3307"],["1754","2430"],["1755","3598"],["1756","927"],["1757","1198"],["1758","1962"],["1759","3717"],["1760","2382"],["1761","2484"],["1762","1818"],["1763","3874"],["1764","3284"],["1765","2980"],["1766","3814"],["1767","3727"],["1768","4689"],["1769","3867"],["1770","5080"],["1771","2990"],["1772","2956"],["1773","3475"],["1774","3725"],["1775","4765"],["1776","6342"],["1777","5120"],["1778","4175"],["1779","3728"],["1780","4171"],["1781","5267"],["1782","5235"],["1783","5312"],["1784","5272"],["1785","5384"],["1786","7017"],["1787","10702"],["1788","11760"],["1789","11029"],["1790","10741"],["1791","10785"],["1792","12363"],["1793","10462"],["1794","10442"],["1795","11288"],["1796","12994"],["1797","11728"],["1798","11987"],["1799","14221"],["1800","17956"],["1801","29602"],["1802","25160"],["1803","27730"],["1804","36902"],["1805","30939"],["1806","37669"],["1807","35010"],["1808","35313"],["1809","43308"],["1810","43284"],["1811","50171"],["1812","46068"],["1813","42314"],["1814","45514"],["1815","44282"],["1816","50936"],["1817","54222"],["1818","67138"],["1819","55045"],["1820","70906"],["1821","59029"],["1822","82332"],["1823","84668"],["1824","103121"],["1825","105546"],["1826","78021"],["1827","91667"],["1828","95567"],["1829","92717"],["1830","111616"],["1831","101083"],["1832","108424"],["1833","121747"],["1834","111579"],["1835","137169"],["1836","135036"],["1837","122012"],["1838","128630"],["1839","142896"],["1840","147561"],["1841","135666"],["1842","117441"],["1843","142682"],["1844","139909"],["1845","151500"],["1846","169420"],["1847","155697"],["1848","171144"],["1849","169095"],["1850","180174"],["1851","184882"],["1852","190688"],["1853","216408"],["1854","244650"],["1855","209545"],["1856","218736"],["1857","186668"],["1858","187704"],["1859","196630"],["1860","205051"],["1861","149653"],["1862","118330"],["1863","122584"],["1864","150269"],["1865","152495"],["1866","167556"],["1867","157223"],["1868","158750"],["1869","166333"],["1870","164641"],["1871","155847"],["1872","168718"],["1873","170601"],["1874","188144"],["1875","187319"],["1876","192065"],["1877","191695"],["1878","177768"],["1879","184197"],["1880","225644"],["1881","224579"],["1882","234198"],["1883","259743"],["1884","237418"],["1885","230022"],["1886","195524"],["1887","213027"],["1888","210679"],["1889","202915"],["1890","217004"],["1891","230451"],["1892","250167"],["1893","248520"],["1894","238663"],["1895","255134"],["1896","271622"],["1897","272076"],["1898","276913"],["1899","306057"],["1900","335527"],["1901","321694"],["1902","337703"],["1903","317320"],["1904","331493"],["1905","329203"],["1906","334006"],["1907","344153"],["1908","342672"],["1909","309231"],["1910","320366"],["1911","317460"],["1912","331844"],["1913","313674"],["1914","301357"],["1915","279973"],["1916","268031"],["1917","241261"],["1918","215023"],["1919","237271"],["1920","291242"],["1921","257747"],["1922","295123"],["1923","239424"],["1924","227267"],["1925","231263"],["1926","215544"],["1927","250747"],["1928","235862"],["1929","230963"],["1930","239811"],["1931","220747"],["1932","213146"],["1933","166166"],["1934","197048"],["1935","218998"],["1936","217115"],["1937","207568"],["1938","216086"],["1939","210415"],["1940","193054"],["1941","169681"],["1942","164509"],["1943","126145"],["1944","117936"],["1945","140532"],["1946","191273"],["1947","216385"],["1948","241847"],["1949","264036"],["1950","271326"],["1951","253634"],["1952","248974"],["1953","240408"],["1954","243466"],["1955","247595"],["1956","268239"],["1957","288148"],["1958","280924"],["1959","295088"],["1960","354292"],["1961","369868"],["1962","420310"],["1963","439805"],["1964","426060"],["1965","473799"],["1966","504588"],["1967","519546"],["1968","586226"],["1969","577712"],["1970","600128"],["1971","547887"],["1972","554865"],["1973","515133"],["1974","497884"],["1975","490656"],["1976","500783"],["1977","515972"],["1978","491898"],["1979","497472"],["1980","506007"],["1981","498831"],["1982","521740"],["1983","548262"],["1984","583415"],["1985","607287"],["1986","634517"],["1987","665352"],["1988","687481"],["1989","697300"],["1990","765786"],["1991","752719"],["1992","811614"],["1993","788187"],["1994","819626"],["1995","848814"],["1996","917142"],["1997","908480"],["1998","940427"],["1999","1037596"],["2000","1128688"],["2001","1116931"],["2002","1218326"],["2003","1366901"],["2004","1505079"],["2005","1408364"],["2006","1653370"],["2007","1729916"],["2008","2648907"]]
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of CHARACTER in Chaldean Numerology is: 8
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of CHARACTER in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5
Examples of CHARACTER in a Sentence
I’m very proud to have been a part of this show, i’m proud to have had a part in creating a character in a show that has had this long-lasting saturation in Americana.
Watch your thoughts, they become words; watch your words, they become actions; watch your actions, they become habits; watch your habits, they become character; watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”
We learn our virtues from our friends who love us; our faults from the enemy who hates us. We cannot easily discover our real character from a friend. He is a mirror, on which the warmth of our breath impedes the clearness of the reflection.
President Trump, I’m sure, will either say [this] himself or Rex Tillerson [will], this campaign has acquired a rather strange character, because in the course of the months that these allegations have been around, not a single fact has been presented ...
Today’s final offer from CDR represents excellent value for shareholders while at the same time protecting the fundamental character of Morrisons for all stakeholders.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
References
Translations for CHARACTER
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- حرف, رمز, شخصية, خلقArabic
- действащо лице, знак, символ, отличителна черта, характер, геройBulgarian
- personatge, caràcterCatalan, Valencian
- znak, postavaCzech
- træk, fasthed, rolle, karakter, tegn, figur, personlighed, viljestyrke, person, naturDanish
- Figur, Character, Person, Original, Zeichen, Charakter, BuchstabeGerman
- χαρακτήρας, γράμμαGreek
- rolulo, karakteroEsperanto
- carácter, personajeSpanish
- tegelane, karakterEstonian
- منش, نویسه, کاراکتر, حرف, پرسوناژ, شخصیت, سیرتPersian
- henkilö, kirjoitusmerkki, tyyppi, luonne, persoona, merkki, kirjain, hahmoFinnish
- caractère, personnageFrench
- pearsa, carachtarIrish
- nàdar, caractar, litirScottish Gaelic
- carácter, personaxeGalician
- אופי, תו, דמות, מאפיין, אישיות, אות, תכונהHebrew
- चरित्रHindi
- karakter, szereplő, betűHungarian
- գործող անձ, տիպ, բնավորություն, նշան, բնութագիրArmenian
- KarakterIndonesian
- persónaIcelandic
- carattere, caratteristica, personaggioItalian
- 記号, 登場人物, キャラクター, 文字, 特質Japanese
- 문자, 등장인물, 캐릭터Korean
- باتهکKurdish
- characterLatin
- CharakterLuxembourgish, Letzeburgesch
- tēlsLatvian
- കഥാപാത്രംMalayalam
- aksara, watakMalay
- karakter, personage, persoonlijkheidDutch
- karakter, tegnNorwegian
- charakter, postać, znakPolish
- carácter, personagem, caráter, fortaleza moral, figura, caracterePortuguese
- personajRomanian
- символ, фигура, характер, личность, герой, персонаж, знак, героиня, отличителная черта, тип, буква, иероглиф, действующее лицоRussian
- karakter, lik, karakteristika, osobinaSerbo-Croatian
- rollfigur, karaktär, teckenSwedish
- sifaSwahili
- எழுத்துருTamil
- ตัวละครThai
- özellik, ahlak, harf, kişilik, karakter, simge, sembol, hususiyet, orijinal kimseTurkish
- 字符Chinese
Get even more translations for CHARACTER »
Translation
Find a translation for the CHARACTER definition in other languages:
Select another language:
- - Select -
- 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
- 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
- Español (Spanish)
- Esperanto (Esperanto)
- 日本語 (Japanese)
- Português (Portuguese)
- Deutsch (German)
- العربية (Arabic)
- Français (French)
- Русский (Russian)
- ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
- 한국어 (Korean)
- עברית (Hebrew)
- Gaeilge (Irish)
- Українська (Ukrainian)
- اردو (Urdu)
- Magyar (Hungarian)
- मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
- Indonesia (Indonesian)
- Italiano (Italian)
- தமிழ் (Tamil)
- Türkçe (Turkish)
- తెలుగు (Telugu)
- ภาษาไทย (Thai)
- Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
- Čeština (Czech)
- Polski (Polish)
- Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
- Românește (Romanian)
- Nederlands (Dutch)
- Ελληνικά (Greek)
- Latinum (Latin)
- Svenska (Swedish)
- Dansk (Danish)
- Suomi (Finnish)
- فارسی (Persian)
- ייִדיש (Yiddish)
- հայերեն (Armenian)
- Norsk (Norwegian)
- English (English)
Word of the Day
Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?
Citation
Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"CHARACTER." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Dec. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/CHARACTER>.
Discuss these CHARACTER definitions with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In