French Conversation · Level 69
60 words
French word
caractéristique
Pronunciation
IPA/kaʁakteʁistik/
Meaning
- feminine nounfeature
Example
Cette application a une caractéristique pratique.
This app has a useful feature.
More examples
La caractéristique la plus importante est la batterie.
The most important feature is the battery.
Core concept
A defining feature that serves as a sign of what a person, object, or situation is like.
Common phrases
une caractéristique importante
an important feature
la caractéristique principale
the main feature
Similar words
aspect: A particular way something can be seen or considered.
particularité: An unusual feature that makes something stand out.
spécificité: A quality or feature peculiar to a limited context or subject.
Definition in French
Trait ou qualité qui distingue une chose, une personne ou une situation et permet de l'identifier.
Word origin
Caractéristique developed from Greek kharaktēristikos, linked to kharaktēr, an engraved sign, with the form reaching French through Latin-based scholarly vocabulary.
Usage tips
- French uses caractéristique for a feature of an object or function, whereas caractère often refers to personality, temperament, or a person's distinctive nature.
Other meanings
- characteristicnoun
- propertynoun
Opposites
- banalitébanalitynoun
- uniformitéuniformitynoun
Related words
- caractérisercharacterizeverb
- caractérisationcharacterizationnoun