English UsageGrammar guide

Characteristic Of: Standard Pattern

Characteristic Of: Standard Pattern records the directly documented adjective construction while separating it from the noun senses of characteristic.

Quick answer

Cambridge documents “characteristic of” when describing a quality that is typical of a person, group, or thing.

Key details

Confusion Familyusage-construction
Rule Familyadjective complement
Termscharacteristic of

Further guidance

Construction

Cambridge examples document characteristic of for a quality that is typical of a person, group, or thing.

Style Boundary

This page records the supported characteristic-of construction without turning noun uses of characteristic into the same rule.

Sources and evidence

Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.

  1. characteristic — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Cambridge dictionary evidence for the adjective construction characteristic of someone or something.

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Absent From: Standard Pattern

Absent From: Standard Pattern records a directly documented English construction and keeps guidance bounded to the evidenced pattern rather than inventing a broader prohibition.

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Accountable For: Standard Pattern

Accountable For: Standard Pattern records the directly documented Cambridge construction and keeps guidance bounded to the evidenced complement pattern rather than inventing a broader prohibition.

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Acquainted With: Standard Pattern

Acquainted With: Standard Pattern records a directly documented English construction and keeps guidance bounded to the evidenced pattern rather than inventing a broader prohibition.

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Addicted To: Standard Pattern

Addicted To: Standard Pattern records a directly documented English construction and keeps guidance bounded to the evidenced pattern rather than inventing a broader prohibition.

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Adept At: Standard Pattern

Adept At: Standard Pattern records a directly documented English construction and keeps guidance bounded to the evidenced pattern rather than inventing a broader prohibition.

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Adjacent To: Standard Pattern

Adjacent To: Standard Pattern records the directly documented construction and keeps guidance bounded to the evidenced complement pattern rather than inventing a broader prohibition.

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