n.
- the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual.
▸strength and originality in a person's nature.
▸a person's good reputation.
- the distinctive nature of something:
gas lamps give the area its character.
- a person in a novel, play, or film.
▸a part played by an actor.
- informal an unusual or amusing person.
- a printed or written letter or symbol.
▸Computing a symbol representing a letter or number.
- chiefly Biology a characteristic, especially one that assists in the identification of a species.
v.
archaic inscribe or write (something).
▸describe.
Derivative
- characterful adj.
- characterfully adv.
- characterless adj.
Etymology
ME (in the sense ‘distinctive mark’, later ‘feature or trait’): from OFr. caractere, via L. from Gk kharaktēr ‘a stamping tool’.