charact-, charac-

((Greek kharakter, Latin character: a distinctive mark or impression))

character (s) (noun), characters (pl)
1. A combination of qualities or features that distinguishes one person, thing, or group from each other: Every individual is normally judged by his or her own character.

Someone who cheats is considered to have very little character.

2. A distinctive feature or attribution that is determined by moral or ethical behavior: The police were tracking a suspicious character they believed might have been involved in a robbery.
3. A formal written statement as to one's competency which is provided by an employer regarding a former employee: Jane's previous supervisor wrote about her reliable character for her new position with another company.

"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."

— John Wooden
character (verb), characters; charactered; charactering
To write, print, engrave, or inscribe: Characters are used when something is written or printed; for example, letters a-z or numbers.
character actor (s) (noun), character actors (pl)
A dramatic professional: Brian is known for playing many different and unusual characters in movies.
character assassination (s) (noun) (no plural)
A vicious and personal verbal attack; especially, one intended to destroy or to damage a public figure's reputation.
character sketch (s) (noun), character sketches (pl)
A dance that represents a particular style that a person performs; especially in ballet.
character witness (s) (noun), character witnesses (pl)
Someone who attests or declares another person's moral conduct and good reputation in a court of law: Edward was a character witness who testified in behalf of his fellow worker that she was honest and never did anything that would substantiate the charges that were brought against her.
characterful (adjective), more characterful, most characterful
Pertaining to having or displaying a remarkable or memorable person: It was not easy to forget what a sensitive and characterful performance Shirley Temple did in her movies.
characteristic (s) (noun), characteristics (pl)
A distinguishing or different feature of a person or something: A lighthouse can be identified by its special characteristic color flashes and structure.
characteristic (adjective), more characteristic, most characteristic
Descriptive of a feature that helps to distinguish a person or something from others: Zebras have characteristic stripes that set them apart from other animals.
characterization (s) (noun), characterizations (pl)
An act or an instance of qualities or peculiarities: Mark kept a list of places of interest with characterizations of each one during his trip to France.
characterize (verb), characterizes; characterized; characterizing
To describe the qualities or peculiarities of someone or something: Samuel was traveling in a region that was characterized by its dikes and canals.
characterizer (s) (noun), characterizers (pl)
Someone who determines the distinctive nature or qualities that make people interesting or popular.
characterless (adjective), more characterless, most characterless
A reference to someone who is commonplace, uninteresting, or weak.
characterology (s) (noun), characterologies (pl)
An attempt to produce a scientific and objective system to evaluate an individual's personality: Essentially characterology is a study that involves the development and its differences of personality or qualities that make individuals interesting or popular.
charactery (s) (noun), characteries (pl)
A system of symbols that are used to express or to convey thoughts and meanings: Frank utilized characteries to explain to his psychologist why he was so depressed.