26984 words

characters

13 definitions • 27 examples
1
the particular combination of qualities in someone or something that makes them or it different from others:

Examples:

Politeness is traditionally part of the British character.
out of character It would be very out of character (= not typical) of her to lie.
in character His recent behaviour is very much in character (= typical).
One of the joys of being a parent is watching the child's character develop.
The idea was to modernize various aspects of the house without changing its essential character.
It's not in his character to be (= he is not usually) jealous.
2
qualities that are interesting and unusual:

Examples:

I'd prefer an old place with a bit of character.
Old books are said to give a room character.
As people grow older, their faces acquire more character.
3
the quality of being determined and able to deal with difficult situations:

Examples:

strength of character She has such strength of character.
4
a person represented in a film, play, or story:

Examples:

The film revolves around three main characters.
She had Mickey Mouse or some other cartoon/Disney character on her sweater.
character actor He made his name as a character actor (= an actor who plays unusual and often humorous people).
5
a person, especially when you are describing a particular quality that they have:

Examples:

She's a curious character - I don't really know what to think of her.
There were one or two strange-looking characters hanging around the bar.
6
someone whose behaviour is different from most people's, especially in a way that is interesting or funny:

Examples:

Ted's quite a character - he's 70 now and still riding that motorbike.
7
a letter, number, or other mark or sign used in writing or printing, or the space one of these takes:

Examples:

string of characters (= a line of marks)
Chinese character The address was written in Chinese characters (= systems of writing).
Japanese character The sign was written in Japanese characters (= systems of writing).
The computer screen on this laptop is 66 characters (= spaces) wide.
8
the particular combination of things about a person or place, esp. things you cannot see, that make that person or place different from others:

Examples:

[ C ] The idea was to modernize the house without changing its homey character.
9
Character is often used in a positive way to mean qualities that are interesting and unusual:

Examples:

[ U ] It’s a theater with a lot of character.
10
a person represented in a movie, play, or story:

Examples:

The story revolves around three main characters.
11
A character is also a person, esp. with reference to a particular quality that the person has:

Examples:

There were one or two suspicious-looking characters hanging around.
12
a letter, number, or other mark or sign used in writing or printing, or the space one of these takes:

Examples:

This computer screen is 66 characters wide.
13
a letter, number, or other symbol used in writing, especially in printed text or on a computer:

Examples:

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