/ ˌkærəktəˈrɪstɪk; NAmE / adjective , noun
■ adjective
characteristic (of sth/sb) very typical of sth or of sb's character :
She spoke with characteristic enthusiasm.
OPP uncharacteristic
► char·ac·ter·is·tic·al·ly adverb :
Characteristically, Helen paid for everyone.
■ noun
~ (of sth/sb) a typical feature or quality that sth/sb has :
The need to communicate is a key characteristic of human society.
The two groups of children have quite different characteristics.
Personal characteristics, such as age and sex are taken into account.
genetic characteristics
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 17th cent.: from French caractéristique or medieval Latin characteristicus , from Greek kharaktēristikos , from kharaktēr a stamping tool.