character

noun

UK /ˈkærɪktə(r)/

Word Forms

singular	character
plural	characters

1
countable usually singularthe qualities that make up someone’s personality
Stinginess with money was one aspect of Steve’s character that I didn’t like.
in/out of character (=typical/not typical of someone’s usual behaviour):
I can’t understand why Simon refused to help; it seems so out of character.
Synonyms and related words
General words for a person’s character
character
personality
identity
1. 1a
  singular the qualities that people from a particular place are believed to have
  He understood so much about our national character.
  Synonyms and related words
  Features and qualities
  feature
  quality
  factor
2
countable/uncountable the qualities that make something clearly different from anything else
Each of his books has its own distinctive character.
The two villages are similar in size but very different in character.
character of:
The house was not in keeping with the character of the surrounding area.
Synonyms and related words
Features and qualities
feature
quality
factor
1. 2a
  a quality that makes something interesting or attractive
  a traditional hotel with a lot of character and charm
  Synonyms and related words
  The quality of being attractive
  appeal
  character
  charm
3
countable/uncountable someone’s reputation, especially when this shows how honest or reliable they are
How dare she cast a slur on my character?
My client is a man of good character.
Synonyms and related words
Reputation
reputation
standing
track record
4
countable a person in a book, play, film etc
The book has a solid plot and likeable characters.
the main/central character:
The film’s central character is played by George Clooney.
Synonyms and related words
Characters in fiction
anti-hero
baddy
bad guy
5
countable a person of a particular type
McMahon is one of the sport’s most colourful characters.
a shady/suspicious/unsavoury character
a reformed/changed character:
Jake used to be pretty wild, but he’s a reformed character now.
Synonyms and related words
General words for person or people
person
people
human
1. 5a
  informalsomeone with special qualities that make them different from most people and interesting to know
  She was quite a character, I can tell you.
  a real character:
  You’d like Joe, he’s a real character.
  Synonyms and related words
  General words for type of person
  outlier
  individual
  character
6
uncountable good personal qualities, especially the qualities of being brave and determined when doing something difficult
She had to stand up and make a speech to 500 people, so it was quite a test of character.
The team showed real character in coming back from two goals down.
character-building (=helping to develop someone’s character):
the idea of competitive sport as a character-building activity
Synonyms and related words
Bravery and brave behaviour
bravery
courage
daring
7
countable a letter, number, or symbol that is written, printed, or used in computer programs
The password may be up to 12 characters long.
Synonyms and related words
Symbols in computing
angle bracket
backslash
carriage return

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