característic

Característic is a Catalan adjective meaning relating to a feature that serves to identify or distinguish something; in English, it corresponds to “characteristic” or “typical.” It is used to describe traits, properties, or markers that characterize a person, object, phenomenon, or category.

In Catalan, característic functions as an adjective. The masculine singular form is característic; the feminine singular form is característica. The masculine plural form is característics, and the feminine plural form is característiques. The feminine singular característica is also the common noun for “characteristic,” so there is overlap in form and meaning when the word is used as a noun.

Etymology traces característic to Latin characteristicus, which derives from Greek charaktēristikos, via French série of terms such as caractéristique. The Catalan suffix -ístic is a productive source of adjectives meaning “pertaining to” or “having the nature of” and is shared with other Romance languages.

Usage and nuance: característic is used across science, technology, culture, and everyday speech to indicate features that help define or distinguish something. Examples include: “Aquest producte té un disseny característic” (This product has a characteristic design) and “El pigment és un tret característic de la espècie” (The pigment is a characteristic feature of the species). When referring to a trait as a noun, “característica” is more common.

See also: related terms in other languages include Spanish característico/característica and Portuguese característico/característica, with similar meanings and cognates.