| 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. |
| 2. | a distinguishing feature or quality: Generosity is his chief characteristic. |
| 3. | Mathematics.
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characteristic char·ac·ter·is·tic (kār'ək-tə-rĭs'tĭk)
n.
See character.
| characteristic (kār'ək-tə-rĭs'tĭk) Pronunciation Key
The part of a logarithm to the base 10 that is to the left of the decimal point. For example, if 2.749 is a logarithm, 2 is the characteristic. Compare mantissa. |