character

[[t]kæ̱rɪktə(r)[/t]]

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characters

1) N-COUNT: usu with supp The character of a person or place consists of all the qualities they have that make them distinct from other people or places.

Perhaps there is a negative side to his character that you haven't seen yet...

The character of this country has been formed by immigration.

Syn:

nature

2) N-SING: usu supp N, also in N If something has a particular character, it has a particular quality.

The financial concessions granted to British Aerospace were, he said, of a precarious character...

The state farms were semi-military in character.

Syn:

nature

3) N-SING: supp N You can use the word character to refer to the qualities that people from a particular place are believed to have.

Individuality is a valued and inherent part of the British character.

Syn:

psyche

4) N-COUNT: usu adj N You use character to say what kind of person someone is. For example, if you say that someone is a strange character, you mean they are strange.

It's that kind of courage and determination that makes him such a remarkable character...

What a sad character that Nigel is.

5) N-VAR: usu supp N Your character is your personality, especially how reliable and honest you are. If someone is of good character, they are reliable and honest. If they are of bad character, they are unreliable and dishonest.

He's begun a series of personal attacks on my character...

Mr Bartman was a man of good character.

6) N-UNCOUNT (approval) If you say that someone has character, you mean that they have the ability to deal effectively with difficult, unpleasant, or dangerous situations.

She showed real character in her attempts to win over the crowd...

I didn't know Ron had that much strength of character.

7) N-UNCOUNT (approval) If you say that a place has character, you mean that it has an interesting or unusual quality which makes you notice it and like it.

A soulless shopping centre stands across from one of one the few buildings with character, the Town Hall.

8) N-COUNT The characters in a film, book, or play are the people that it is about.

The film is autobiographical and the central character is played by Collard himself...

He's made the characters believable.

9) N-COUNT If you say that someone is a character, you mean that they are interesting, unusual, or amusing. [INFORMAL]

He'll be sadly missed. He was a real character.

10) N-COUNT A character is a letter, number, or other symbol that is written or printed.

11) PHRASE: usu v-link PHR If someone's actions are in character, they are doing what you would expect them to do, knowing what kind of person they are. If their actions are out of character, they are not doing what you would expect them to do.

It was entirely in character for Rachel to put her baby first...

What else could make him behave so out of character?