Charakteristischen

Charakteristischen is the inflected form of the German adjective charak teristisch, meaning typical or characteristic. It is used to describe features or properties that identify or distinguish a subject, such as a phenomenon, organism, object, or group. The term is common in scientific, descriptive, and analytical writing when listing or emphasizing distinguishing traits.

In German grammar, charakteristisch is an attributive adjective that declines according to case, number, and gender. The form charakteristischen appears in several common plural and singular cases, especially after definite articles. For example: die charakteristischen Merkmale (nominative plural), mit den charakteristischen Merkmalen (dative plural), and des charakteristischen Merkmals (genitive singular). These endings reflect typical weak declension in contexts where the article or determiner provides the necessary grammatical information.

A closely related noun is die Charakteristik, which refers to the overall character or typical features of something, or to a field of study focusing on characteristic traits. Common collocations include charakteristische Merkmale, charakteristische Eigenschaften, and charakteristische Verhaltensweisen, all denoting features that help distinguish or identify a subject.

Usage context often ranges from natural sciences and medicine to linguistics, psychology, and cultural studies. The term conveys a sense of essential, recognizable traits rather than incidental or superficial attributes. It is distinct from broader descriptors like allgemein or typisch, as charak teristisch emphasizes what practically defines or differentiates the subject.

See also: Charakteristik; characteristic in English; Bedeutung von Merkmalen; descriptive terminology.