CHARACTERISATION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does characterisation mean? 

• CHARACTERISATION (noun)
  The noun CHARACTERISATION has 2 senses:

1. a graphic or vivid verbal description

2. the act of describing distinctive characteristics or essential features

  Familiarity information: CHARACTERISATION used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CHARACTERISATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A graphic or vivid verbal description

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

characterisation; characterization; delineation; depiction; picture; word-painting; word picture

Context example:

the pamphlet contained brief characterizations of famous Vermonters

Hypernyms ("characterisation" is a kind of...):

description; verbal description (a statement that represents something in words)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "characterisation"):

epithet (descriptive word or phrase)

portrait; portraiture; portrayal (a word picture of a person's appearance and character)

Derivation:

characterise (describe or portray the character or the qualities or peculiarities of)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The act of describing distinctive characteristics or essential features

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

characterisation; characterization

Context example:

the media's characterization of Al Gore as a nerd

Hypernyms ("characterisation" is a kind of...):

description (the act of describing something)

Derivation:

characterise (describe or portray the character or the qualities or peculiarities of)

 Context examples 

The definition for a genomic biomarker does not include the measurement and characterisation of proteins or low molecular weight metabolites.

(Genomic Biomarker, NCI Thesaurus)

Their characterisation of Rider revealed that the Rider family is also present and potentially active in other plants, including economically important crops such as rapeseed, beetroot and quinoa.

(Harnessing tomato jumping genes could help speed-breed drought-resistant crops, University of Cambridge)

Furthermore, biological characterisation of this material showed that it has the capacity to generate the appropriate niche for growth in a number of chondrocytes, while retaining their characteristics in the long-term culture in the laboratory setting.

(Scientists design a new hydrogel that helps regenerate cartilage, University of Granada)