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characteristic

 - 5 dictionary results

char⋅ac⋅ter⋅is⋅tic

  [kar-ik-tuh-ris-tik]
Use characteristic in a Sentence
–adjective
1. Also, char⋅ac⋅ter⋅is⋅ti⋅cal. pertaining to, constituting, or indicating the character or peculiar quality of a person or thing; typical; distinctive: Red and gold are the characteristic colors of autumn.
–noun
2. a distinguishing feature or quality: Generosity is his chief characteristic.
3. Mathematics.
a. the integral part of a common logarithm. Compare mantissa.
b. the exponent of 10 in a number expressed in scientific notation.
c. the smallest positive integer n such that each element of a given ring added to itself n times results in 0.
Origin:
1655–65; < Gk charaktēristikós. See character, -istic

Related forms:
char⋅ac⋅ter⋅is⋅ti⋅cal⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. special, peculiar. 2. attribute, property, trait. See feature.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To characteristic
char·ac·ter·is·tic   (kār'ək-tə-rĭs'tĭk)   
adj.  Being a feature that helps to distinguish a person or thing; distinctive: heard my friend's characteristic laugh; the stripes that are characteristic of the zebra.
n.  

  1. A feature that helps to identify, tell apart, or describe recognizably; a distinguishing mark or trait.

  2. Mathematics The integral part of a logarithm as distinguished from the mantissa: The characteristic of the logarithm 6.3214 is 6.

  3. Mathematics The least number of times the multiplicative identity in a ring needs to be added to itself to reach the additive identity, or, if the additive identity is never reached, zero. The integers have a characteristic of zero; the integers modulus 12 have a characteristic of 12.

char'ac·ter·is'ti·cal·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 1char·ac·ter·is·tic
Pronunciation: "kar-ik-t&-'ris-tik
Function: adjective
: serving to reveal anddistinguish the individual character —char·ac·ter·is·ti·cal·ly /-ti-k(&-)lE/ adverb

Main Entry: 2characteristic
Function: noun
: a distinguishing trait, quality, or property
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

characteristic char·ac·ter·is·tic (kār'ək-tə-rĭs'tĭk)
n.
See character.

char'ac·ter·is'tic adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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