characteristic

English Online Dictionary. What means characteristic‎? What does characteristic mean?

English

Etymology

From Ancient Greek χαρακτηριστικός (kharaktēristikós), from χαρακτηρίζω (kharaktērízō, “to designate by a characteristic mark”), from χαρακτήρ (kharaktḗr, “a mark, character”). By surface analysis, character +‎ -istic.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌkæɹəktəˈɹɪstɪk/
• (General American, without the Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA^(key): /ˌkæɹ(ə)ktəˈɹɪstɪk/, [ˌkʰæɹəktəˈɹɪstɪk]
• (General American, Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA^(key): /ˌkɛɹəktəˈɹɪstɪk/
• Hyphenation: char‧ac‧te‧ris‧tic
• Rhymes: -ɪstɪk

Adjective

characteristic (comparative more characteristic, superlative most characteristic)

1. Being a distinguishing feature of a person or thing.

Synonyms

• distinctive
• exclusive
• idiosyncratic
• indicative
• representative
• signature
• specific
• typical
• proper

Antonyms

• uncharacteristic
• untypical

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

characteristic (plural characteristics)

1. A distinguishing feature of a person or thing, a part of mental or physical behavior.
2. (mathematics) The integer part of a logarithm.
3. (nautical) The distinguishing features of a navigational light on a lighthouse etc by which it can be identified (colour, pattern of flashes etc.).
4. (algebra, field theory, ring theory) For a given field or ring, a natural number that is either the smallest positive number n such that n instances of the multiplicative identity (1) summed together yield the additive identity (0) or, if no such number exists, the number 0.
   • 1962 [John Wiley & Sons], Nathan Jacobson, Lie Algebras, 1979, Dover, page 289,

     In this chapter we study the problem of classifying the finite-dimensional simple Lie algebras over an arbitrary field of characteristic 0.

   • 1992, Simeon Ivanov (translator), P. M. Gudivok, E. Ya. Pogorilyak, On Modular Representations of Finite Groups over Integral Domains, Simeon Ivanov (editor), Galois Theory, Rings, Algebraic Groups and Their Applications, American Mathematical Society, page 87,

     Let R be a Noetherian factorial ring of characteristic p which is not a field.

Synonyms

• (distinguishing feature of a person or thing): attribute, hallmark, idiosyncrasy, mannerism, quality, tendency, trademark, trait
• See also Thesaurus:characteristic

Coordinate terms

• (part of a logarithm): mantissa

Derived terms

Related terms

• characteristically

Translations

See also

• mantissa

Further reading

• “characteristic”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “characteristic”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Interlingua

Adjective

characteristic (not comparable)

1. characteristic

Related terms

• characteristica