karaktäristisk

Karaktäristisk is a Swedish adjective meaning “characteristic” or “typical.” It is used to describe features that identify, distinguish, or define a person, object, phenomenon, or category. The word agrees with the noun in gender and number, for example en karaktäristisk egenskap (a characteristic property) or karaktäristiska drag (characteristic features).

Etymology and related terms: The term derives from the French caractéristique, via Latin characteristicus, reflecting a long-standing linguistic lineage in Swedish. Related phrases include karaktäristiska egenskaper (characteristic properties), karaktäristiska drag, and karaktäristisk karaktär (the defining character of something). In everyday language, synonyms such as typisk (typical) are common, though karaktäristisk emphasizes defining or distinguishing traits.

Usage in different fields: In science and scholarship, karaktäristisk is used to denote features that uniquely identify a group, species, or phenomenon. In linguistics, one might speak of karaktäristiska drag in dialects or languages. In mathematics and probability, Swedish often uses karaktäristisk funktion to refer to the mathematical “characteristic function” of a random variable, though he term indikatorfunktion is also used for indicator functions. In everyday discourse, phrases like “det är karaktäristiskt för” highlight what is typical or distinctive about something.

See also: karaktär, karaktärisering, indikatorfunktion, typisk, egenskap.

Note: The English equivalent is often simply “characteristic,” and context determines whether the Swedish term refers to a general trait or a specific technical concept.