characterchar‧ac‧ter /ˈkærəktə $ -ər/ ●●● S1 W1 noun 
He has a cheerful but quiet character. Children grow up with a mixture of character traits (=character qualities) from both sides of their family. his temper and other character flaws (=bad qualities)in character/out of character (=typical or untypical of someone’s character) He swore, which was out of character for him.the English/French etc character Openness is at the heart of the American character.character sketch (=a description of someone’s character)2person [countable] a)a person in a book, play, film etc: Candida is the most interesting character in the play. In the story, the main character has left his girlfriend and baby. Everyone recognizes Disney’s cartoon characters. b)a person of a particular type, especially a strange or dishonest one: a couple of shady characters standing on the corner I’m considered a reformed character these days (=someone who has stopped doing bad things). c)an interesting and unusual person: Linda was something of a character.3qualities of something [singular, uncountable] the particular combination of features and qualities that makes a thing or place different from all others SYN naturecharacter of The whole character of the school has changed. the unspoilt character of the coastin character The southern state became more nationalist in character.4moral strength [uncountable] a combination of qualities such as courage, loyalty, and honesty that are admired and regarded as valuable: a woman of great character Schools were created to teach reading and mathematics, not moral character. It takes strength of character to admit you are wrong. Sport can be character building (=develop good moral qualities).5interesting quality [uncountable] a quality that makes someone or something special and interesting: a red wine with a meaty character suburban houses that lack character6reputation [uncountable] formal the opinion that people have about whether you are a good person and can be trusted: a man of previous good character The campaign was accused of character assassination (=an unfair attack on someone’s character) because of its negative ads. His defence called several people as character witnesses (=people who think that someone has a good character). Mr Wetherby wrote him a character reference (=a statement about his good qualities).7letter/sign [countable] a letter, mark, or sign used in writing, printing, or on a computer: the Chinese character for ‘horse’COLLOCATIONS– Meaning 2aADJECTIVES/NOUN + characterthe main/central/leading character· Alec is the central character in the play.the lead character (=in a play, film, or television series)· DiCaprio played the lead character in Titanic.a minor character· Two of the minor characters get killed.a television/movie/cartoon character· Who’s your favourite television character?a comic/tragic character (=a funny or sad one)· Homer Simpson is a great comic character.fictional/fictitious (=not existing in real life)· People sometimes forget that television characters are fictional.convincing (=seeming like a real person)· The characters were totally convincing.a sympathetic character (=one you like)· In the book, Jeff isn’t a sympathetic character.verbsplay a character· I wanted to play the character of Danny.portray a character (=show one in a play, book, film etc)· The main characters are brilliantly portrayed.develop a character (=make a character become more interesting)· The movie didn’t develop his character as well as the book did.nounscharacter development (=the process of developing characters)· I thought the plot was boring and there wasn’t much character development.a character actor (=an actor who plays interesting or unusual characters)· He’s a well-known character actor.
WORD ORIGINcharacter
Origin:
1300-1400 Old French caractere, from Latin character ‘mark, particular quality’, from Greek, from charassein ‘to make a mark in a surface’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- A candidate's character and qualifications are more important than past experience.
- A couple of suspicious-looking characters were standing outside the house.
- A person's character is very important to me when I decide who I want to work with.
- Ancient literature uses fictional characters to illustrate moral dilemmas.
- Beneath his brash, noisy exterior was a much shrewder and lonelier character than he admitted.
- Carmen Maura plays the passionate, beautiful Pepa, the central character of director Pedro Almodovar's movie.
- Each group is named after a fictional character like Mickey Mouse.
- Each neighborhood has its own unique character.
- Ellis is a man of exceptional character.
- He was a repulsive character.
- He writes Westerns in which the main characters are gay.
- Her behavior last night revealed a lot about her character.
- Her female characters often have strong, important relationships with other women.
- Her husband was a man of good character, well-liked and respected by his colleagues.
- His actions during the war showed his character.
- It's a red wine with an almost meaty character.
- It was a wonderful story -- the characters were so convincing.
- Jed is one of most likeable characters in the play.
- King Henry is the name given to a donkey, the title character in the children's book, 'King Henry Saves Christmas'.
- Liquids are different in character from both solids and gases.
- Now they're arguably the easiest of all classics to look after, and come brimming with character as standard.
- Rex may be the ideal idol to many men but you will have to settle with playing his character in the game.
- She did forget the name of the other most memorable character, bearded and effusive.
- She gave up trying to analyse Guy Sterne's character on the basis of his bookshelves.
- She is the only character with a named chapter in each of the four sections.
- The pronunciations given for these components, and for the characters of which they form part, are those of present-day Mandarin.
- Thus, when you insert it into text, existing characters move to the right and down to make room.
Longman Language Activatorsomeone's character
the combination of qualities that makes someone a particular kind of person, for example a good or bad, honest or dishonest person: · Her behavior last night revealed a lot about her character.· A candidate's character and qualifications are more important than past experience.· What strikes me most about Hamlet is his noble character.
someone's character - use this especially about how someone behaves towards other people, for example whether they are friendly or unfriendly, confident or easily frightened etc: · It's true he can be emotional at times but that's just part of his personality.· This election should be about issues and policies, not about the personalities of the candidates!friendly/nice/warm etc personality: · Yun has a lovely, warm personality.
someone's character - use this especially to say whether someone is naturally good or bad, gentle or severe etc: · Kindness and sympathy were in his nature.· My girlfriend has a rather unforgiving nature so I don't think that I'll tell her.· She was surprised to learn he had a romantic side to his nature.by nature (=use this when saying what someone's usual character is): · She's generous by nature.· I am not by nature a violent man, but these insults were more than I could bear.it's not in somebody's nature: · It was not in his nature to take risks.
the emotional part of someone's character, especially how likely they are to become angry, happy, sad etc: · His calm, quiet temperament made him popular with his colleagues.· My father and I got along very well, having very similar temperaments.the right temperament: · I'm not sure if she has the right temperament for the job.
formal a character that makes it likely that you will behave nervously, jealously etc: · This program may not be suitable for people with a nervous disposition.be of a nervous/jealous etc disposition: · He's considerate and sweet-tempered but of a very nervous disposition.have a nervous/jealous etc disposition: · Sue had a sunny disposition and a warm smile.
British /makeup American someone's character - use this especially to say that someone's character is completely fixed and they cannot change it or control it: · It's not in their make-up to accept defeat.· Her constant attempts to justify her actions tell the reader a lot about her emotional make-up.· This behaviour is part of our genetic make-up rather than our cultural conditioning.be part of somebody's make-up: · Stubbornness has always been a significant part of his makeup.
informal if you know what makes someone tick , you understand their character, desires, and what makes them behave in the way they do: · After working with him for five years, I still don't know what makes him tick.· As a teacher, you need to get to know your students, find out what makes them tick.
one part of someone's character something such as an ability or a way of behaving that is part of someone's character: · Besides intelligence and charm, Bella had some less desirable qualities.· The essential quality of a good parent is patience.· Among his other endearing qualities, Ralph was an exceedingly patient man.
a part of someone's character, especially a part that is thought by other people to be good and useful: · The attribute that people found most attractive in Sharon was her optimism.· Hope is one of mankind's most enduring and rewarding attributes.· He had all the attributes of a great leader: charisma, energy, discipline, and resourcefulness.
someone's characteristics are the qualities that are typical of them and which make them easy to recognize: · All great leaders share certain characteristics which must be seen as the key to their success.· Ralph can be very mean sometimes. It's one of his less endearing characteristics.
one type of feeling or behaviour that is particularly noticeable in a person or group of people: · It's a human trait to joke about subjects that make us uncomfortable.family trait (=a trait shared by members of a family): · Pride seems to be one of our family traits.personality trait: · Certain personality traits make people more likely to become victims of violent crime.
: romantic/serious/funny etc side a part of someone's character, especially one that is very different from the rest of their character: · Canning was a very traditional Englishman but he had a surprisingly romantic side to him as well.· Val revealed her wild side at the office party.· After his arrest people realized that there had always been a darker side to his nature.
one part of someone's character, which makes them behave or feel in particular ways: · Part of me loves going to parties but there's another part that prefers staying at home.· There is a part of her that I just don't understand.
a part of someone's character that is quite different from the rest of their character, especially one that makes them behave badly: mean/nasty/violent etc streak: · She had a mean streak that she didn't bother to hide.· The District Attorney argued that Johnson has a violent streak and is a danger to society.
informal a part of someone's character, especially one that you like or dislike: · One of the things I like about Susan is the way she always keeps smiling, even when there are problems.· The nicest thing about Richard is that he doesn't mind being criticized.
good or bad things about someone's character: · Fred was a bad manager but he had his good points.· She always tried to be fair with her students and not just stress their bad points.· When you're dead people don't remember your faults -- only your good points.
a strange or unusual habit or part of someone's character: · Although on the outside he was quiet and shy, Albert had more than his share of quirks.· She took pride in her children's quirks and individuality, and made no effort to try to change them.
you say this when there is something about a person's character that you like or dislike, but you're not sure exactly what it is: · I don't know what it is, but there's something about that man which really irritates me.
someone's real character British /true colors American if someone shows their true colours they do something that shows what they are really like, when they have been pretending to be something different: · With the elections safely behind him, Hitler began to show his true colours.· He was friendly to me at first but he showed his true colors when we were both up for the same promotion.
if someone is nice, jealous, frightened etc underneath , they really are nice, jealous, or frightened even though their behaviour shows a different character: · I know that she seems very aggressive, but underneath she's really quite shy.· Underneath all that boastful talk you'll find that he's actually a very nice guy.underneath it all: · She laughed as if she was joking but underneath it all, I knew she meant it.
if someone is cruel, dishonest, good etc deep down , that is their true character even though they hide this in their usual behaviour: · Deep down, I think she's really very ambitious.· Yeah, sometimes he can be really nice and polite but, I tell you, deep down he's an animal!
if you are a particular type of person at heart , that is your true character even though you may sometimes think you are different: · She's a traveller at heart. You'll never get her to settle down.· Paul was an easy-going fellow at heart who wanted only to enjoy himself.
a definite character that makes someone different from other people the definite character that a person or group sees themselves as having, which lets them feel different and separate from everyone else: · She was afraid marriage would cause her to lose her identity.· The islanders are proud of their strong regional identity.sense of identity (=the feeling that you have a strong identity): · Many teenagers play sports to gain a sense of identity.
the quality of being clearly different from other people and having your own personal character: · It's difficult to be part of a highly organized group such as the armed forces without losing some of your individuality.· We have a close working relationship while retaining our individuality and separate interests.
the quality of being interesting, friendly, and enjoyable to be with, that makes someone seem very different from most other people: · Everyone loves her for her cheerful personality.· Yes, he's got plenty of talent and ambition, but he's got no personality.· Billie Holiday or Bessie Smith had more personality than a hundred of today's pop singers.
the character of something the combination of qualities that a particular kind of place, thing etc has: the character of: · The whole character of the school had changed.· We'll find out about the true character of this team after these next few games.character: · Marx's view of society stressed its dynamic character.in character: · Liquids are different in character from both solids and gases.
the true character of something, which you must understand in order to know what it is really like: the nature of: · The doctor admitted that he didn't yet understand the nature of Julie's illness.· Monnens spends his days explaining the nature of Internet advertising to clients.by its nature (=because of its nature): · Computers, by their nature, tend to change the way offices are organized.be in the nature of something (=be a permanent part of its nature): · It's in the nature of elections that campaigning sometimes gets quite tough.
the most basic and important quality of something that make it different from anything else: the essence of: · This is the essence of the problem, as I see it.· The movie brilliantly captures the essence of Calcutta's street life.· Sharing is the essence of friendship.in essence (=most importantly): · His speech was, in essence, a plea for understanding and conciliation.
one part of the character of something a part of the character of something that makes it clearly different from or similar to other things: · One of the characteristics of this species is the dark blue markings on its back.· The main characteristics of capitalism are private ownership of capital and freedom of enterprise.share characteristics/have characteristics in common (=have similar characteristics): · The UK shares many characteristics with other European countries.· The two diseases have a number of characteristics in common.
an important part of the character of something, especially a part that is good: · There are certain qualities in Orwell's prose that I greatly admire.· Despite its many qualities, the school simply isn't getting results.· This wine possesses a unique quality.a quality of: · There is a wonderful quality of innocence in these paintings.
a characteristic that a particular substance or chemical has: · The properties of the soil influence the growth of the plants.· We test the chemical and biological properties of the samples.· The conducting properties of solids vary widely.
an important, noticeable, or interesting characteristic of something: · The hotel's most attractive feature is its magnificent view of Mount Hood.· Patriotism was a prominent feature in Bush's election campaign.a feature of: · Information on employment is a central feature of this training course.
a characteristic of an organization or system, especially a good characteristic: · He possesses the essential attributes of a journalist.· She spent most of the interview describing the company's attributes to me.
informal a characteristic of something, especially one that you like or dislike: · The thing that I really hate about this job is having to work late at night.· All that lovely fresh air -- that's the best thing about living in the country.
the good or bad things about a place or thing: · The city is big and noisy, but it does have its good points too.
you say this when there's something about a thing, a place, someone's behaviour etc that you like or dislike, but you're not sure exactly what it is: · There's something very strange about this whole affair.· There was something about the place that gave me the creeps.
the person that an actor pretends to be in a play, film etc · Jed is one of most likeable characters in the play.central/main character · Carmen Maura plays the passionate, beautiful Pepa, the central character of director Pedro Almodovar's movie.
the job of acting as a particular character in a play or film: · She knew she wanted the part as soon as she read the movie script.play the part/role of: · She played the part of the Wicked Stepmother in 'Snow White'.
to start to behave better to change the way you behave, and start being obedient, hard-working etc, after behaving badly for a long time: · It's possible the college might take you back, but first you'll have to convince them you've mended your ways.· If he doesn't mend his ways he'll be in jail by the time he's eighteen.
to decide that you will change the way you behave, because you really want to stop behaving badly, breaking the law etc: · I know I've done some bad things in the past, but now I'm turning over a new leaf.· After being released from jail, Tony decided to turn over a new leaf.
to start behaving better after a situation in which people did not trust you because you were behaving illegally or dishonestly: · She told her son to clean up his act or move out.· Tish has really cleaned up her act - she doesn't drink or smoke pot any more.
American to start to behave well after you had been behaving badly: · You'd better straighten up or you'll never make it out of high school.
British someone who has changed completely and no longer behaves badly or does things they should not do - often used humorously: · "Does Alex still drink as much as he used to?" "No, he's a reformed character now."
to stop being a criminal and decide to obey the law and live an honest life: · He's been going straight for about six months now.· You can't expect these people to go straight when no one's ever going to give them a job.
the people in a book a person in a story: · Her female characters often have strong, important relationships with other women.character from: · She reminds you of a character from Dickens.· Sisyphus, the character from Greek mythologymain character (=the most important one): · The main character is a soldier in the First World War.· He writes Westerns in which the main characters are gay.title character (=an important character whose name is mentioned in the title of the book): · King Henry is the name given to a donkey, the title character in the children's book, 'King Henry Saves Christmas'.fictional character (=not a real one): · Ancient literature uses fictional characters to illustrate moral dilemmas.
the most important man or woman in a book: · By the story's end, the heroine finds herself in the hero's arms, and all ends well.· 'Cinderella' is the story of a downtrodden heroine who wins out over her sisters. hero/heroine of: · Paul Morel is the hero of 'Sons and Lovers'.
words for describing an interesting person · The party was full of artists, actors, and other interesting people.· Lawyers get to represent lots of clients in their careers, but few as interesting as a president.find somebody interesting (=think someone is interesting) · She found him interesting, attractive even.
extremely interesting and often attractive: · Nathan Bryce was the most handsome, fascinating, and ruthless man she had ever met.· It was easy to understand why Denise found Chris so fascinating.
British /colorful American a colourful person is interesting and often amusing because they are very unusual, especially because they behave in a way that does not follow society's usual rules: · The late Bob Johnston was one of the city's most colorful, beloved characters.· Throughout his life, O'Connor was a colourful and controversial character.
someone who other people like and think is interesting, because they behave in an unusual and amusing way: · She's quite a character -- people find her rather shocking, but I like her.· James is a real character, completely unpredictable but very funny.
an interesting city, building, work of art etc a building, work of art, object etc that is interesting is unusual or special in some way: · The exhibition includes some interesting old musical instruments.· What makes San Francisco so interesting is its architecture, which is completely different from that of other American cities.
extremely interesting: · London is one of the most exciting and fascinating cities in the world.· It was a fascinating painting, with clever use of colour and light.· The Scottish Craft Centre has a fascinating range of pottery, jewellery and textiles for sale. · Alice Thornton's autobiography provides a fascinating account of family life in seventeenth-century England.
different in style from other buildings, cities, or works of art, and therefore interesting: · Louise makes hats that are eye-catching and unusual.· Yuri invited me to sample some of Osaka's more unusual restaurants.
if a place or a building has character , it is old and has a lot of unusual features which make it interesting and special: · The hotel has character and charm, and is ideal as a base for exploring the city.
a person in a story a person in a story in a book, film, or play: · It was a wonderful story -- the characters were so convincing.the main/central character: · The interesting thing about the play is the conflict between the two main characters.
the man or boy who is the main character in a book, play, film etc, who people admire because he is good, strong, brave, honest etc: hero of: · Indiana Jones is the hero of the film.tragic hero (=a hero who suffers a lot): · Hamlet is Shakespeare's most famous tragic hero.
the woman or girl who is the main character in a book, play, film etc, who people admire because she is good, strong, brave, honest etc: heroine of: · The heroine of her latest novel is a middle-class English woman.
a person · I think Sue's a really nice person.· He's the only person I know who can speak Chinese.· There were over 200 people at the meeting.· The streets were suddenly full of people.
a person - use this when you do not know who the person is, or when it is not important to say who it is: · Someone phoned you but I didn't get their name.· What would you do if somebody tried to rob you in the street?someone else/somebody else (=another person): · Can't you get someone else to clean the kitchen for you?
a person - use this when you are comparing people with animals or machines: · The drug had never before been tested on a human being.· Computers have replaced humans in many factories.
a person - use this especially when you are talking about responsibility or choice: · It is the responsibility of each individual within the class to make sure they have the correct books.· The decision to have an operation should be up to the individual involved.
a person who seems strange, interesting etc: · A couple of suspicious-looking characters were standing outside the house.· Beneath his brash, noisy exterior was a much shrewder and lonelier character than he admitted.
the opinion that people have about a person, organization etc the general opinion that people have about a person, organization etc based on what they have heard, read, seen, or experienced: reputation as: · Despite her reputation as a trouble-maker, she was promoted to department manager.reputation for: · a brilliant director with a reputation for thoroughnessexcellent/good/bad etc reputation: · I am surprised that a company with your good reputation would produce such poor quality goods.· She found his terrible reputation one of his greatest attractions.have a good/bad etc reputation: · The school had an excellent academic reputation.· The area has a really bad reputation but it isn't as bad as people think.win/earn/gain a reputation as something: · The town's Dolphin Centre had gained a reputation as one of the best leisure complexes in the country.have a reputation of/for being: · The mill has the reputation of being one of the most energy-efficient in the world.live up to your reputation (=be as good, bad etc as people say): · The restaurant certainly lived up to its reputation; the food was delicious.
the idea that people have about a well-known person, company, or product - use this especially about an idea that is deliberately created through newspaper stories, advertising etc: image as: · Perth is proud of its image as a breeding ground for "don't-take-no-for-an-answer" entrepreneurs. be bad/good for somebody's image: · The President's advisers said it would be bad for his image to be photographed with union leaders.improve your image: · The party is seeking to improve its image with female voters.project an image (=make an image): · The princess tried to project an image of herself as serious and hardworking.
the reputation a person or an organization has because of something they do or because of the quality of what they produce, usually when this is good: good/bad name: · He's a determined man and he values his good name.have a name for doing something: · This man has a name for making tough business deals.get a good/bad name: · Teenagers tend to get a bad name for being moody.make a name for yourself (=become known and admired by many people): · Marks and Spencer have made a name for themselves as a producer of high quality goods at reasonable prices.
someone's reputation and position in a group or society, based on other peoples' opinion of them: social/moral/professional etc standing: · The class system in Great Britain encourages people to be very aware of their social standing.· This legal case is very likely to damage the company's professional standing.national/international etc standing: · Jacques Tati was a man of international standing in the world of screen comedy.
the respect and good reputation a person, organization, profession etc has because they have a high position in society, are admired by people etc: · The teaching profession has lost the prestige it had in former times.· Hosting the Olympic Games would add to our country's international prestige.· Becoming a film star confers status, power, prestige and wealth.
a reputation for being very good at something, very important, or very influential that makes people respect you: · At that time there were no other universities in England equal in stature to Oxford and Cambridge.stature as: · As he got older, Picasso's stature as an artist increased.of world/international etc stature: · a British architect of international stature
formal someone's reputation, especially whether or not other people think they are honest or morally good: · A person's character is very important to me when I decide who I want to work with.be of (good/bad) etc character: · Her husband was a man of good character, well-liked and respected by his colleagues.
to damage the reputation of someone or something · If a representative gets drunk at a convention, it may harm their firm's reputation.· Sabine was completely loyal to you. She would never do anything to damage your reputation.
to give a group or place a bad reputation by behaving in an unacceptable way: · Students who are rude and scruffy give the school a bad name.· The regular brawling and violence in the bar had given it a bad name.· He was the type of person that gives insurance salesmen a bad name.
formal to damage the reputation of the organization that you work for or the job that you do by doing something bad or illegal - use this especially in legal or official contexts: · This is exactly the kind of incident that brings international companies into disrepute.· The officers were charged with bringing the police force into disrepute.
to make people stop trusting or believing in someone or something: · There was a plot by certain members of the opposition to discredit the government.· The old leaders were discredited by the massive defeats at Verdun and Flanders.· Through your selfishness, you have brought discredit on yourself and your whole family.
a cruel and unfair attack on someone's character: · All too often politicians discredit themselves by engaging in character assassination.
something that harms someone's character, reputation etc in someone's opinion: a slur/stain on somebody's character/reputation etc: · Baker accused the press of casting a slur on his reputation.· He was discharged from the army without a stain on his character.
an attempt to damage the reputation of a political opponent by secretly spreading false ideas about them, for example by telling a newspaper that they have done bad or dishonest things: · Kingsley denies all the rumours, saying he's the victim of a vicious smear campaign.smear campaign/whispering campaign against: · Allegations of instability, untrustworthiness and lack of political judgement - all these were part of the whispering campaign against her.
someone in a story one of the people in a story: · The two main characters in the book are a young boy and his teacher.· Each group is named after a fictional character like Mickey Mouse.
the man or boy who is the main character in a story: · In cinema, the hero always got the girl and the bad guy was always punished.· Shakespeare's best-known tragic hero is probably Hamlet.hero of: · Who was the hero of "The Catcher in the Rye"?
the woman or girl who is the main character in a story: · The story is narrated entirely by the heroine.· She seems to see herself as some kind of romantic heroine in a trashy novel.
typical behaviour or qualities behaviour or actions that are typical of a person are just what you usually expect them to do, especially when this is something bad or annoying: · "Dad forgot to mail the letter." "That's just typical!"· Mrs Quilley greeted the guests with typical charm and confidence.· This is typical adolescent behaviour - part of the process of becoming independent from your parents.it is typical of somebody to do something: · It's typical of Ramon to waste time when he knows we're already late.
very typical of a particular type of thing, or of someone's character or usual behaviour: · Each species of bird has its own characteristic song.· Larry, with characteristic generosity, invited everyone back to his house.characteristic of: · This pattern is characteristic of the local architecture.
if you say that something is just what you'd expect , you mean that it is exactly what your idea of someone makes you expect them to do: · Jenny's house is very clean and neat, just what you'd expect.· He was annoyed, but he soon got over it -- just what you'd expect, in fact.
if you say that someone's action or behaviour is just like them, you mean that it is typical of them in a way that annoys you: · You have left everything to the last minute. That's just like you.it is just like somebody to do something: · It's just like Uncle Roy to invite us all to lunch and then forget to tell Aunt Sarah.· It would be just like my son to get the measles twice.
used for saying that you are not surprised that someone has done something or behaved in a particular way, because it's the kind of thing they often do: · He was late, of course, but that's Tim all over.· "That's Dora all over," interrupted Rose with a sniff. "Once she gets an idea into her head, nothing will stop her."
if you say that someone does something true to form you mean it is very typical of them, especially when it is something annoying: · True to form, Oliver turned up late and drunk.· They promised to pay by Friday and yes, true to form, the money didn't arrive till Wednesday.
you say someone would do something when they do something that is typical of them and you want to criticize them for it: · "Janice is going to be late for the meeting." "She would be!"· "And then Harry got drunk." "He would do, wouldn't he!"
usual and expected for a particular person or type of person or a situation - you can often use this in humorous contexts: · It was a typical student's room with the inevitable Van Gogh print on the wall.· Dinner started with the inevitable chicken soup.· In the subway I got cornered by the inevitable drunkard wanting to give me some advice.
an action or remark that is in character is typical of someone's character: · Julie said that? That doesn't seem to be in character at all.· His reaction was quite in character. The man had no respect for education, and it was no surprise when he took his son out of school.
not typical belonging to a type or group, but not having the usual qualities of that type or group: · Such letters of complaint are atypical; the foundation usually receives nothing but praise and admiration for our work.atypical of: · This bird is atypical of most species here in that it does not build a nest.
not typical of a situation or of someone's character, and therefore surprising: · It was summer and despite the uncharacteristic chill in the air, the tourists were swarming the beaches. · With uncharacteristic modesty, Will explained his contribution to the development of the film medium.
if you say it is not like someone or is unlike them to do something, you mean it is not typical of them to behave in that way, and it is strange or surprising: · Cheer up Maria. It isn't like you to be as depressed as this.· It's unlike him to drink so much - I hope he is all right.· I don't understand why Mr Beanie is being so nice today -- it's just not like him.
an action which is out of character is not typical of someone's character and usual behaviour: · I can't believe Andrew wrote this letter -- it seems so out of character.· "Jane never said a word all morning." "That sounds very out of character to me."
not typical of the usual behaviour of a person or group: · The train's 20-minute delay, my Japanese friend informed me, was most untypical.· For some reason, and with untypical boldness, she took a step forward and walked into the room. untypical of: · The solemn tone of this story is untypical of her usual style.
WORD SETSaesthete, nounagitprop, nounart gallery, nounartist, nounartwork, nounavant-garde, adjectivebaroque, adjectivecapture, verbceramics, nouncharacter, nounclassical, adjectiveclassicism, nouncompere, nouncontemporary, adjectiveconvention, nouncreative, adjectivecritical, adjectivecrossover, nouncubism, nouncultural, adjectiveculturally, adverbculture, nouncurator, nouncycle, noundrama, nouneisteddfod, nounepic, nouneponymous, adjectiveerotic, adjectiveerotica, nouneroticism, nounexhibit, verbexhibit, nounexhibition, nounexpress, verbexpression, nounexpressionism, nounextract, nounfictionalize, verbfigurine, nounfin de siècle, adjectiveflashback, nounformalism, nounfuturism, nounglaze, verbglaze, nounGothic, adjectivehandcrafted, adjectivehandicraft, nounhandmade, adjectivehigh priest, nounhistorical, adjectiveinterpretation, nounItalianate, adjectivelowbrow, adjectivemagnum opus, nounmarquetry, nounmasterpiece, nounmasterwork, nounmature, adjectivemedium, nounMFA, nounmiddlebrow, adjectiveminimalism, nounmotif, nounmuse, nounnarrator, nounnaturalism, nounneoclassical, adjectivenotice, nounoeuvre, nounoffering, nounopening, adjectiveopus, nounpan, verbparody, nounpastiche, nounpattern, nounpiece, nounpop art, nounportfolio, nounpostmodernism, nounprequel, nounpreview, nounproduce, verbproduction, nounrealism, nounrealistic, adjectiverehash, verbreview, nounreview, verbromantic, nounromanticism, nounroyalty, nounrubbish, nounsalon, nounscenario, nounscene, nounsensuous, adjectivesentimental, adjectivesequel, nounsequence, nounset piece, nounsetting, nounShakespearean, adjectiveshowing, nounskit, nounstory, nounstudio, nounstylistic, adjectivesurrealism, nounswansong, nounsynopsis, nountitle, nountrilogy, nountwo-dimensional, adjectiveuncut, adjectiveunexpurgated, adjectivevillain, nounwork, nounwork of art, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Meaning 2aADJECTIVES/NOUN + character He sued the newspaper for defamation of character. his flamboyant style of play He gained a reputation as a forceful member of the party. Playing a character so different from herself was a challenge. Greeley says he’s a genuinely reformed character. a shady character a mental illness associated with particular personality traits There were a lot of unsavoury characters (=unpleasant people) around the station. an unsympathetic character
· Alec is the central character in the play.
(=in a play, film, or television series)· DiCaprio played the lead character in Titanic.
· Two of the minor characters get killed.
· Who’s your favourite television character?
(=a funny or sad one)· Homer Simpson is a great comic character.
(=not existing in real life)· People sometimes forget that television characters are fictional.
(=seeming like a real person)· The characters were totally convincing.
(=one you like)· In the book, Jeff isn’t a sympathetic character.
verbs· I wanted to play the character of Danny.
(=show one in a play, book, film etc)· The main characters are brilliantly portrayed.
(=make a character become more interesting)· The movie didn’t develop his character as well as the book did.
nouns (=the process of developing characters)· I thought the plot was boring and there wasn’t much character development.
(=an actor who plays interesting or unusual characters)· He’s a well-known character actor.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES (=an actor who is good at unusual or interesting roles)· As a character actor you get interesting parts.
(=someone who is interesting and unusual)
He sued the newspaper for defamation of character. (=a fault in your character)· Laziness was just one of his character defects.
· New buildings have destroyed much of the character of the area.
his flamboyant style of play He gained a reputation as a forceful member of the party. Playing a character so different from herself was a challenge. Greeley says he’s a genuinely reformed character. a shady character (=strong ability to deal with difficult situations)· The victims' families have shown amazing strength of character.
a mental illness associated with particular personality traits There were a lot of unsavoury characters (=unpleasant people) around the station. an unsympathetic character (=a witness who says that the person being tried is a good person)· He said he would gladly be a character witness for her.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· I believe that certain central characters of novels, however famous they may be, remain imprisoned by the work they inhabit.· Donna Barbara had a woman as central character.· The problem is the presence of Depardieu as the central character, Valjean.· You are the storyteller, which makes you a central character in each story.· The central character presents the case for Mackay's individualist anarchism.· Players see the games through the point of view of a central character, giving them a three-dimensional look.· A little noticed but central character of such vivisystems is that this paradoxical essence is contagious.
· However, different grape varieties produce wines of widely different character.· Water waves are of course different in character from their more abstract mathematical cousins, yet there are striking parallels.· This meant that the cities which ultimately grew up within this rural society were of a different character from the surrounding countryside.· It has a lot of different character, depending on where you are.· Sometimes, perhaps not very often during their lifetimes, volcanoes erupt and present a wholly different character.· At thirty-five he was becoming a skilled and versatile developer in his own right but very different in character from his father.· Over the last ten years I've gone through different phases and characters.· But the teaching which is condemned here is of a different character....
· The main character in the drama was full of contradictions.· Likewise, aesthetically lacquered trappings dramatically impede the movements of the drama's main characters.· The main characters are virtuous people, contending with afflictions throughout the play, but finally rewarded with happiness.· But the main character Marlow ... played by Tim Roth ... looks back on his life when he returns to port.· Of course, all of this is arranged by the main character.· Most of these exercises are double cast so that there are good opportunities for several readings of the main characters.· In the story, the main character had turned on his television to one of its two channels.
· The points cost of these special characters comes out of your Character points allowance in the normal way.· It is the creative process that gives each its special character.· She was a very special character in so many ways.· It takes a special strength of character to spend decades doggedly pursuing a theory that attracts harsh opposition.· The first step in processing the typesetting tape was to find the mapping between the typesetting codes and the special characters.· From Payson to Yuma to Sierra Vista, the pace of growth is straining the resources and special character of small towns.· This involved a painstaking search of the paper dictionary to find examples of each of the special characters.· What may be especially worth noting are those affirmations that give special character to his everyday life inquiries.
NOUN· In other words, he was still developing the characteristics that would eventually make him a character actor.· The character actor has appeared in at least 50 motion pictures in a film career that dates to the 1950s.· I never expected to be much more than a character actor.· Cyril Shaps, that splendid and irrepressible character actor, David Horovitch and me.
· Later we became our favourite cartoon characters.· Studio stores where you can find classy designs with cartoon characters.· Daniel Oates has invented a repertoire of three-dimensional cartoon characters to populate his work.· Fletcher Reede is a cartoon character with real heart.· These include the development of Harry the Bear, a cartoon character, in stories on the back of the pack.· The cartoon character he was named after was cuter.· Mischiefmakers, mayhem creators, fraudulent shady cartoon characters.· Who knew, until this week, that you were a cartoon character of ridicule?
· This can be on-line or off-line recognition of hand-printed characters, or of machine-printed characters using optical character recognition.· Clustering applications would include things like character recognition, sonar / radar signal classification, and robotic control.· Parsytec plans to release an entire family of character recognition systems with prices starting at £15,000.· This could include word processing, a database, case management and optical character recognition.· And character recognition is relatively slow and prone to errors even on powerful computers.· Further details of printed character recognition systems are not included here in order to concentrate on cursive handwriting systems.· Typically context is used only in the form of spelling correction information to compensate for errors in character recognition.
· The inviolable Gedge formed character traits as a child that give a fascinating insight into his later life.· The character trait here is over-dependence, lack of autonomy. 2.· But your greatest character trait is your honesty.· It was an innate character trait.
VERB· They completely changed the character of the pine-forest.· Press Shift-F8 6 $ to change the alignment character to the dollar sign. 16.· They changed in character: grew as we grew older.· At the front of the church, Nobleman had changed costume and character.· What I really should do is change my character, and I still could but - it's difficult.· The changing and temporal character of all existing things is prominent in the commentary although it stands in opposition to Zeus.· Choose one that contrasts with the current wall colour or wallpaper and see how it totally changes its character.· The status line then changes to Type the characters that you want to replace, then press Esc.
· Nineteenth-century choreographers creating either a character or a national ballet used both occupational and natural emotional gesture in their dance designs.· It was obvious that for each of his speeches, he created a character and rehearsed it in front of a mirror.· Scriptwriters will create worlds and characters with particular behaviour patterns and then let them build their own story.· Besides, he always began creating a character from the voice.· More than one word may be created from the character lattice.· Mr Driscoll created the cartoon characters as bedtime stories for his children, Adam and Holly.
· Because she played a character we liked.· Redford played a character where everything came easy.· Rex may be the ideal idol to many men but you will have to settle with playing his character in the game.· What Ullman wants is to play every character in her imagination, at great personal sacrifice.· The actor Walter Matthau, best known for playing crumpled, curmudgeonly characters on screen, has died aged 79.· Woodard plays this conflicted character at an Emmy / CableACE level.· You play a character called Rohan who must set free the monks he finds on his journey.· Sister Aimee herself-in fetching costume-always played the lead character.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► blacken somebody’s name/character/reputation
- Buy him eine kleine Knackwurst and toddle home without a stain on your character.
- Duran dominated Leonard physically that night, but five months later the New Orleans farce put a huge stain on his reputation.
- Robert Lopez is released without a stain on his character.
- The massacre has left an indelible stain on the name of Clan Campbell.
- Whatever the outcome, he not unnaturally regarded his time in gaol as a stigma, as a stain on his character.
- But now he, or she, needs to be an even broader, more sympathetic figure than before.
- Charles didn't find many sympathetic characters among the cast.
- The reader zooms through the story hoping for a resolution that will satisfy the mystery without sacrificing any of the sympathetic characters.
WORD FAMILYnouncharactercharacteristiccharacterizationadjectivecharacteristic ≠ uncharacteristiccharacterlessverbcharacterizeadverbcharacteristically ≠ uncharacteristically
1all somebody’s qualities [countable usually singular] the particular combination of qualities that makes someone a particular type of person: He has a cheerful but quiet character. Children grow up with a mixture of character traits (=character qualities) from both sides of their family. his temper and other character flaws (=bad qualities)in character/out of character (=typical or untypical of someone’s character) He swore, which was out of character for him.the English/French etc character Openness is at the heart of the American character.character sketch (=a description of someone’s character)2person [countable] a)a person in a book, play, film etc: Candida is the most interesting character in the play. In the story, the main character has left his girlfriend and baby. Everyone recognizes Disney’s cartoon characters. b)a person of a particular type, especially a strange or dishonest one: a couple of shady characters standing on the corner I’m considered a reformed character these days (=someone who has stopped doing bad things). c)an interesting and unusual person: Linda was something of a character.3qualities of something [singular, uncountable] the particular combination of features and qualities that makes a thing or place different from all others SYN naturecharacter of The whole character of the school has changed. the unspoilt character of the coastin character The southern state became more nationalist in character.4moral strength [uncountable] a combination of qualities such as courage, loyalty, and honesty that are admired and regarded as valuable: a woman of great character Schools were created to teach reading and mathematics, not moral character. It takes strength of character to admit you are wrong. Sport can be character building (=develop good moral qualities).5interesting quality [uncountable] a quality that makes someone or something special and interesting: a red wine with a meaty character suburban houses that lack character6reputation [uncountable] formal the opinion that people have about whether you are a good person and can be trusted: a man of previous good character The campaign was accused of character assassination (=an unfair attack on someone’s character) because of its negative ads. His defence called several people as character witnesses (=people who think that someone has a good character). Mr Wetherby wrote him a character reference (=a statement about his good qualities).7letter/sign [countable] a letter, mark, or sign used in writing, printing, or on a computer: the Chinese character for ‘horse’COLLOCATIONS– Meaning 2aADJECTIVES/NOUN + characterthe main/central/leading character· Alec is the central character in the play.the lead character (=in a play, film, or television series)· DiCaprio played the lead character in Titanic.a minor character· Two of the minor characters get killed.a television/movie/cartoon character· Who’s your favourite television character?a comic/tragic character (=a funny or sad one)· Homer Simpson is a great comic character.fictional/fictitious (=not existing in real life)· People sometimes forget that television characters are fictional.convincing (=seeming like a real person)· The characters were totally convincing.a sympathetic character (=one you like)· In the book, Jeff isn’t a sympathetic character.verbsplay a character· I wanted to play the character of Danny.portray a character (=show one in a play, book, film etc)· The main characters are brilliantly portrayed.develop a character (=make a character become more interesting)· The movie didn’t develop his character as well as the book did.nounscharacter development (=the process of developing characters)· I thought the plot was boring and there wasn’t much character development.a character actor (=an actor who plays interesting or unusual characters)· He’s a well-known character actor.