Characterize
late 16th century (in the sense ‘engrave, inscribe’): from French caractériser or medieval Latin characterizare, from Greek kharaktērizein, from kharaktēr ‘a stamping tool’.
wiktionary
From Medieval Latin characterizare, from Ancient Greek χαρακτηρίζω(kharaktērízō, “to designate by a characteristic mark”), from χαρακτήρ(kharaktḗr, “a mark, character”). Synchronically analyzable as character + -ize.
etymonline
characterize (v.)
1590s, "to engrave, write," back-formation from characterization, or else from Medieval Latin characterizare, from Greek kharaktērizein "to designate by a characteristic mark," from kharaktēr (see character). Meaning "to describe the qualities of" is recorded from 1630s; sense of "to be characteristic of" is from 1744; that of "impart a special stamp or character to" is from 1807. Related: Characterized; characterizing.
