A prominent attribute or aspect of something:
— Generosity is one of his best characteristics.

synonym: feature.

Roget 550: indication; symbolism, symbolization; semiology, semiotics, semeiology^†, semeiotics^†; Zeitgeist.    [means of recognition: property] characteristic, diagnostic; lineament, feature, trait; fingerprint, voiceprint, footprint, noseprint [for animals]; cloven hoof; footfall; recognition (memory) 505.    [means of recognition: tool] diagnostic, divining rod; detector.    sign, symbol; index, indice^†, indicator; point, pointer; exponent, note, token, symptom; dollar sign, dollar mark.    type, figure, emblem, cipher, device; representation etc. 554; epigraph, motto, posy.    gesture, gesticulation; pantomime; wink, glance, leer; nod, shrug, beck; touch, nudge; dactylology^†, dactylonomy^†; freemasonry, telegraphy, chirology [Med.], byplay, dumb show; cue; hint etc. 527; clue, clew, key, scent.    signal, signal post; rocket, blue light; watch fire, watch tower; telegraph, semaphore, flagstaff; cresset^†, fiery cross; calumet; heliograph; guidon; headlight.    [sign (evidence) on physobj of contact with another physobj] mark, scratch, line, stroke, dash, score, stripe, streak, tick, dot, point, notch, nick.    print; imprint, impress, impression.    [symbols accompanying written text to signify modified interpretation] keyboard symbols, printing symbols; [Symbols for emphasis], red letter, italics, sublineation^†, underlining, bold font; jotting; note, annotation, reference; blaze, cedilla, guillemets^†, hachure [Topo.]; [Special Characters list], quotation marks, "; double quotes, " "; parentheses, "( )"; brackets, "[ ]"; braces, "{ }", curly brackets; arrows, slashes; left parenthesis, "("; right parenthesis, ")"; opening bracket, "["; closing bracket, "]"; left curly brace, "{"; right curly brace, "}"; left arrow, ""; forward slash, "/"; backward slash, "\\"; exclamation point, "!"; commercial at, "@"; pound sign, "#"; percent sign, "%"; carat, "^"; ampersand, "&"; asterisk, "*"; hyphen, "-"; dash, "-", "_"; em dash, "--"; plus sign, "+"; equals sign, "="; question mark, "?"; period, "."; semicolon, ";"; colon, ":"; comma, ","; apostrophe, "'"; single quote, "'"; tilde, "~". [For identification: general] badge, criterion; countercheck^†, countermark^†, countersign, counterfoil; duplicate, tally; label, ticket, billet, letter, counter, check, chip, chop; dib^†; totem; tessera^†, card, bill; witness, voucher; stamp; cacher [Fr.]; trade mark, Hall mark.    [For identification of people, on a document] signature, mark, autograph, autography; attestation; hand, hand writing, sign manual; cipher; seal, sigil [Lat.], signet, hand and seal [Law]; paraph^†, brand; superscription; indorsement^†, endorsement.    [For identification of people, to gain access to restricted (locations or information)] password, watchword, catchword; security card, pass, passkey; credentials etc. (evidence) 467; open sesame; timbrology^†; mot de passe [Fr.], mot du guet [Fr.]; pass-parole; shibboleth.    title, heading, docket.    address card, visiting card; carte de visite [Fr.].    insignia; banner, banneret^†, bannerol^†; bandrol^†; flag, colors, streamer, standard, eagle, labarum^†, oriflamb^†, oriflamme; figurehead; ensign; pennon, pennant, pendant; burgee^†, blue Peter, jack, ancient, gonfalon, union jack; banderole, old glory [U.S.], quarantine flag; vexillum^†; yellow-flag, yellow jack; tricolor, stars and stripes; bunting.    heraldry, crest; coat of arms, arms; armorial bearings, hatchment^†; escutcheon, scutcheon; shield, supporters; livery, uniform; cockade, epaulet, chevron; garland, love knot, favor.    [Of locality] beacon, cairn, post, staff, flagstaff, hand, pointer, vane, cock, weathercock; guidepost, handpost^†, fingerpost^†, directing post, signpost; pillars of Hercules, pharos; bale-fire, beacon-fire; l'etoile du Nord [Fr.]; landmark, seamark; lighthouse, balize^†; polestar, loadstar^†, lodestar; cynosure, guide; address, direction, name; sign, signboard.    [Of the future] warning etc. 668; omen etc. 512; prefigurement etc. 511.    [Of the past] trace, record &c., 551.    [Of danger] warning etc. 668, alarm etc. 669.    [of authority]. scepter etc. 747.    [of triumph]. trophy etc. 733.    [of quantity]. gauge etc. 466.    [Of Distance] milestone, milepost.    [Of disgrace], brand, fool's cap.    [For detection], check, telltale; test etc. (experiment) 463; mileage ticket; milliary^†.    notification etc. (information) 527; advertisement etc. (publication) 531.    word of command, call; bugle call, trumpet call; bell, alarum, cry; battle cry, rallying cry; angelus^†; reveille; sacring bell^†, sanctus bell [Lat.].    exposition etc. (explanation) 522, proof etc. (evidence) 463; pattern etc. (prototype) 22.    ... show more

Roget 79: speciality, specialite^†; individuality, individuity^†; particularity, peculiarity; idiocrasy etc. (tendency) 176; personality, characteristic, mannerism, idiosyncrasy; specificness etc. adj.^†; singularity etc. (unconformity) 83; reading, version, lection; state; trait; distinctive feature; technicality; differentia.    particulars, details, items, counts; minutiae.    I, self, I myself; myself, himself, herself, itself.    ... show more

Dutch: feature, kenmerk, kenteken

A distinguishing quality.

Dutch: kenmerkend, karakteristiek, eigenschap, hoedanigheid, propriëteit
Polish: wyróżnik

The integer part (positive or negative) of the representation of a logarithm; in the expression log 643 = 2.808 the characteristic is 2.

Dutch: karakteristiek

Any measurable property of a device measured under closely specified conditions.

synonym: device characteristic.

Polish: charakterystyka

Typical or distinctive.

Roget 5: derived from within, subjective; intrinsic, intrinsical^†; fundamental, normal; implanted, inherent, essential, natural; innate, inborn, inbred, ingrained, inwrought; coeval with birth, genetous^†, haematobious^†, syngenic^†; radical, incarnate, thoroughbred, hereditary, inherited, immanent; congenital, congenite^†; connate, running in the blood; ingenerate^†, ingenite^†; indigenous; in the grain etc. n.; bred in the bone, instinctive; inward, internal etc. 221; to the manner born; virtual.    characteristic etc. (special) 79, (indicative) 550; invariable, incurable, incorrigible, ineradicable, fixed.    ... show more

Roget 15: differing etc. v.; different, diverse, heterogeneous, multifarious, polyglot; distinguishable, dissimilar; varied, modified; diversified, various, divers, all manner of, all kinds of; variform etc. 81; daedal^†.    other, another, not the same; unequal etc. 28.    unmatched; widely apart, poles apart, distinctive; characteristic, discriminative, distinguishing.    incommensurable, incommensurate.    ... show more

Roget 79: special, particular, individual, specific, proper, personal, original, private, respective, definite, determinate, especial, certain, esoteric, endemic, partial, party, peculiar, appropriate, several, characteristic, diagnostic, exclusive; singular etc. (exceptional) 83; idiomatic; idiotypical; typical.    this, that; yon, yonder.    ... show more

Roget 550: indicating etc. v., indicative, indicatory; denotative, connotative; diacritical, representative, typical, symbolic, pantomimic, pathognomonic^†, symptomatic, characteristic, demonstrative, diagnostic, exponential, emblematic, armorial; individual etc. (special) 79.    known by, recognizable by; indicated etc. v.; pointed, marked.    [Capable of being denoted] denotable^†; indelible.    ... show more

Polish: charakterystyczny