CHARACTERISTIC

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does characteristic mean? 

• CHARACTERISTIC (noun)
  The noun CHARACTERISTIC has 4 senses:

1. a prominent attribute or aspect of something

2. a distinguishing quality

3. the integer part (positive or negative) of the representation of a logarithm; in the expression log 643 = 2.808 the characteristic is 2

4. any measurable property of a device measured under closely specified conditions

  Familiarity information: CHARACTERISTIC used as a noun is uncommon.

• CHARACTERISTIC (adjective)
  The adjective CHARACTERISTIC has 1 sense:

1. typical or distinctive

  Familiarity information: CHARACTERISTIC used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CHARACTERISTIC (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A prominent attribute or aspect of something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

characteristic; feature

Context example:

generosity is one of his best characteristics

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

attribute; dimension; property (a construct whereby objects or individuals can be distinguished)

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

safety feature (feature of an artifact that is added to insure a user's safety)

distinctive feature; distinguishing characteristic; peculiarity (an odd or unusual characteristic)

external (outward features)

excellence; excellency (an outstanding feature; something in which something or someone excels)

contour (a feature (or the order or arrangement of features) of anything having a complex structure)

centerpiece; centrepiece (the central or most important feature)

badge (any feature that is regarded as a sign of status (a particular power or quality or rank))

attracter; attraction; attractive feature; attractor; magnet (a characteristic that provides pleasure and attracts)

aspect; facet (a distinct feature or element in a problem)

invariant (a feature (quantity or property or function) that remains unchanged when a particular transformation is applied to it)

sex character; sex characteristic; sexual characteristic (those characteristics (both anatomical and psychological) that are strongly associated with one sex relative to the other)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A distinguishing quality

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

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

quality (an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone)

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

compatibility (capability of existing or performing in harmonious or congenial combination)

streak (a distinctive characteristic)

ruralism; rurality (a rural characteristic or trait)

robustness (the characteristic of being strong enough to withstand intellectual challenge)

indirectness (having the characteristic of lacking a true course toward a goal)

directness; straightness (trueness of course toward a goal)

incurability; incurableness (incapability of being cured or healed)

curability; curableness (capability of being cured or healed)

dangerousness (the quality of not being safe)

aspect (a characteristic to be considered)

saving grace (a redeeming quality or characteristic)

earmark; hallmark; stylemark; trademark (a distinctive characteristic or attribute)

point (a distinguishing or individuating characteristic)

point; spot (an outstanding characteristic)

incompatibility (the quality of being unable to exist or work in congenial combination)

passport; recommendation (any quality or characteristic that gains a person a favorable reception or acceptance or admission)

safeness (the quality of being safe)

Holonyms ("characteristic" is a part of...):

nature (the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized)

Derivation:

characteristic (typical or distinctive)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The integer part (positive or negative) of the representation of a logarithm; in the expression log 643 = 2.808 the characteristic is 2

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

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

integer; whole number (any of the natural numbers (positive or negative) or zero)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Any measurable property of a device measured under closely specified conditions

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

characteristic; device characteristic

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

property (a basic or essential attribute shared by all members of a class)

Domain category:

electronics (the branch of physics that deals with the emission and effects of electrons and with the use of electronic devices)

• CHARACTERISTIC (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Typical or distinctive

Context example:

stripes characteristic of the zebra

Similar:

diagnostic; symptomatic (characteristic or indicative of a disease)

distinctive; typical (of a feature that helps to distinguish a person or thing)

peculiar (characteristic of one only; distinctive or special)

Also:

typical (exhibiting the qualities or characteristics that identify a group or kind or category)

Antonym:

uncharacteristic (distinctive and not typical)

Derivation:

character (a characteristic property that defines the apparent individual nature of something)

characteristic (a distinguishing quality)

 Context examples 

A clinical finding about one or more characteristics of adenosarcoma, following the rules of the TNM AJCC v7 classification system.

(Adenosarcoma Clinical TNM Finding v7, NCI Thesaurus)

A pathologic finding about one or more characteristics of adenosarcoma, following the rules of the TNM AJCC v7 classification system as they pertain to staging of the primary tumor.

(Adenosarcoma Pathologic Primary Tumor TNM Finding v7, NCI Thesaurus)

Lymph node metastases are unusual; hematogenous tumor spread is characteristic.

(Adenoid cystic carcinoma, NCI Thesaurus)

A lesion in which the normally situated glands are partially or completely replaced by atypical cells with malignant characteristics.

(Adenocarcinoma in situ, NCI Thesaurus)

A substance that is added to a system or compound to improve its characteristics.

(Additive, NCI Thesaurus)

A pathologic finding about one or more characteristics of adenosarcoma, following the rules of the TNM AJCC v7 classification system as they pertain to staging of the regional lymph nodes.

(Adenosarcoma Pathologic Regional Lymph Nodes TNM Finding v7, NCI Thesaurus)

A pathologic finding about one or more characteristics of adenosarcoma, following the rules of the TNM AJCC v7 classification system.

(Adenosarcoma Pathologic TNM Finding v7, NCI Thesaurus)

A finding about one or more characteristics of adrenal cancer, following the rules of the TNM AJCC v7 classification system.

(Adrenal Cancer TNM Finding v7, NCI Thesaurus)

It combines morphologic characteristics of pheochromocytoma and neuroectodermal tumors such as neuroblastoma, ganglioneuroma, ganglioneuroblastoma, or peripheral nerve sheath tumors.

(Adrenal Gland Composite Pheochromocytoma, NCI Thesaurus)

A pathologic finding about one or more characteristics of adrenal cancer, following the rules of the TNM AJCC v7 classification system as they pertain to staging of regional lymph nodes.

(Adrenal Cancer Pathologic Regional Lymph Nodes TNM Finding v7, NCI Thesaurus)