Characteristic vs. Personality — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Urooj Arif — Updated on May 3, 2024
Characteristic defines specific traits or features, while personality encompasses an individual’s entire emotional and behavioral patterns.
Difference Between Characteristic and Personality
Table of Contents
ADVERTISEMENT
Key Differences
A characteristic is an identifiable quality or feature that can be used to describe an individual uniquely, such as being tall or meticulous. On the other hand, personality refers to a broader set of emotional, social, and behavioral patterns that define how a person consistently behaves over time.
Characteristics can be either inherited or acquired, like eye color or academic skills. Whereas, personality is developed through a complex interaction of both innate dispositions and environmental influences throughout a person's life.
Some characteristics are temporary or situational, such as being stressed during exams. In contrast, personality traits are relatively stable and enduring, influencing how a person interacts with the world on a regular basis.
While characteristics can be observed in isolation, like being left-handed, personality is typically assessed through a combination of traits such as introversion or extroversion, which influence a person's overall demeanor.
Characteristics often describe physical attributes as well, which are not typically considered part of one's personality. On the other hand, personality strictly deals with psychological patterns, not physical traits.
ADVERTISEMENT
Comparison Chart
Definition
A distinguishing feature or quality of a person.
The combination of emotional, attitudinal, and behavioral response patterns of an individual.
Stability
Can change depending on circumstances.
Generally stable over time.
Examples
Being tall, having blue eyes.
Being cheerful, trustworthy.
Visibility
Often observable or measurable.
Inferred from consistent behaviors.
Relation
Describes specific aspects.
Describes overall disposition.
Compare with Definitions
Characteristic
May also signify skills or abilities.
Mathematical aptitude is a key characteristic of engineers.
Personality
Assessed through patterns of behavior.
Consistent reliability is central to his personality.
Characteristic
Often situation-specific.
His aggressiveness is a characteristic apparent only during debates.
Personality
Comprises various traits.
A dominant trait in his personality is his honesty.
Characteristic
Can be innate or acquired.
Her eloquence is an acquired characteristic, honed over years of practice.
Personality
Influenced by both genetics and environment.
His extroverted personality is a product of both nature and nurture.
Characteristic
Can refer to physical attributes.
Her green eyes are her most striking characteristic.
Personality
The psychological and emotional qualities of an individual.
Maria’s personality is marked by her generous spirit.
Characteristic
A notable feature that helps to identify a person.
An outstanding characteristic of James is his punctuality.
Personality
Manifests in social interactions.
Her introverted personality makes her a reserved but thoughtful listener.
Characteristic
Typical of a particular person, place, or thing
He began with a characteristic attack on extremism
Personality
Personality is defined as the characteristic sets of behaviors, cognitions, and emotional patterns that evolve from biological and environmental factors. While there is no generally agreed upon definition of personality, most theories focus on motivation and psychological interactions with one's environment.
Characteristic
A feature or quality belonging typically to a person, place, or thing and serving to identify them
Certain defining characteristics of the school emerge from the study
Personality
The combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual's distinctive character
She had a sunny personality that was very engaging
She has triumphed by sheer force of personality
Characteristic
The whole number or integral part of a logarithm, which gives the order of magnitude of the original number.
Personality
A celebrity or famous person
An official opening by a famous personality
Characteristic
Being a feature that helps to distinguish a person or thing; distinctive
Heard my friend's characteristic laugh.
The stripes that are characteristic of the zebra.
Personality
The quality or fact of being a person as distinct from a thing or animal.
Characteristic
A feature that helps to identify, tell apart, or describe recognizably; a distinguishing mark or trait.
Personality
Disparaging remarks about an individual.
Characteristic
(Mathematics) The integral part of a logarithm as distinguished from the mantissa
The characteristic of the logarithm 6.3214 is 6.
Personality
The totality of qualities and traits, as of character or behavior, that are peculiar to a specific person.
Characteristic
(Mathematics) The least number of times the multiplicative identity in a ring needs to be added to itself to reach the additive identity, or, if the additive identity is never reached, zero. The integers have a characteristic of zero; the integers modulo 12 have a characteristic of 12.
Personality
The totality of behavioral traits that are peculiar to a specific nonhuman animal
A hyena with an assertive personality.
Characteristic
Being a distinguishing feature of a person or thing.
Personality
The totality of qualities that distinguish a group, organization, or place
The personality of the business changed dramatically over the years.
Characteristic
A distinguishing feature of a person or thing.
Personality
The collection of distinctive qualities of a person, especially those distinguishing personal characteristics that make one socially appealing
Won the election more on personality than on capability.
Characteristic
(mathematics) The integer part of a logarithm.
Personality
The quality or condition of being a person.
Characteristic
(nautical) The distinguishing features of a navigational light on a lighthouse etc by which it can be identified (colour, pattern of flashes etc.).
Personality
A person as the embodiment of distinctive traits of mind and behavior.
Characteristic
For a given field or ring, a natural number that is either the smallest positive number n such that n instances of the multiplicative identity (1) summed together yield the additive identity (0) or, if no such number exists, the number 0.
The characteristic of a field, if non-zero, must be a prime number.
Personality
A person of prominence or notoriety
Television personalities.
Characteristic
Pertaining to, or serving to constitute, the character; showing the character, or distinctive qualities or traits, of a person or thing; peculiar; distinctive.
Characteristic clearness of temper.
Personality
The distinctive characteristics of a place or situation
Furnishings that give a room personality.
Characteristic
A distinguishing trait, quality, or property; an element of character; that which characterized.
The characteristics of a true critic.
Personality
Personalities An offensive or disparaging personal remark
Let's not engage in personalities.
Characteristic
The integral part (whether positive or negative) of a logarithm.
Personality
(of people) A set of non-physical psychological and social qualities that make one person distinct from another.
The president has a unique personality.
Characteristic
A prominent aspect of something;
The map showed roads and other features
Generosity is one of his best characteristics
Personality
(of inanimate or abstract things) A set of qualities that make something distinctive or interesting.
His writing has a lot of personality.
This functional concrete building lacks personality.
Characteristic
A distinguishing quality
Personality
An assumed role or manner of behavior.
In his final act, the comedian takes on a child's personality.
Characteristic
The integer part (positive or negative) of the representation of a logarithm; in the expression log 643 = 2.808 the characteristic is 2
Personality
A celebrity, especially one with a strong media presence.
Johnny Carson was a respected television personality.
Characteristic
Any measurable property of a device measured under closely specified conditions
Personality
Charisma, or qualities that make a person stand out from the crowd.
The best contestant shows most personality.
Characteristic
Typical or distinctive;
Heard my friend's characteristic laugh
Red and gold are the characteristic colors of autumn
Stripes characteristic of the zebra
Personality
Something said or written which refers to the person, conduct, etc., of some individual, especially something of a disparaging or offensive nature; personal remarks.
Indulgence in personalities
Personality
(legal) That quality of a law which concerns the condition, state, and capacity of persons
Personality
That which constitutes distinction of person; the externally evident aspects of the character or behavior of a person; individuality.
Personality is individuality existing in itself, but with a nature as a ground.
Personality
Something said or written which refers to the person, conduct, etc., of some individual, especially something of a disparaging or offensive nature; personal remarks; as, indulgence in personalities.
Sharp personalities were exchanged.
Personality
That quality of a law which concerns the condition, state, and capacity of persons.
Personality
A person who is famous or notable; a celebrity.
Personality
The complex of all the attributes--behavioral, temperamental, emotional and mental--that characterize a unique individual;
Their different reactions reflected their very different personalities
It is his nature to help others
Personality
A person of considerable prominence;
She is a Hollywood personality
Common Curiosities
What defines a personality?
Personality is defined by a set of emotional, attitudinal, and behavioral patterns unique to an individual.
Can characteristics influence personality?
Yes, certain characteristics like temperamental qualities can influence one's personality development.
Are personality traits permanent?
While personality traits are relatively stable, they can evolve over time due to external factors or personal growth.
How are personality traits different from characteristics?
Personality traits are more about patterns of behavior, while characteristics can also include physical attributes.
What is a characteristic?
A characteristic is a specific quality or feature that distinguishes a person or thing.
Can a person's characteristics change?
Yes, characteristics can change, especially those that are acquired, like skills or habits.
How do psychologists measure personality?
Psychologists often use assessments and surveys like the Big Five to measure personality traits.
Is personality inherited?
Personality is partially inherited but also significantly shaped by environmental factors.
What are common methods to identify characteristics?
Characteristics can be identified through observation, self-reports, and psychological tests.
What role does upbringing play in personality development?
Upbringing plays a crucial role in shaping one's personality by influencing attitudes and behaviors.
How does personality affect career choices?
Personality can influence career choices by aligning one's innate preferences and skills with professional roles.
Can animals have personalities?
Yes, many animals display consistent behavior patterns that can be considered personalities.
Does culture affect personality?
Culture heavily influences the development and expression of personality.
Share Your Discovery
Previous Comparison
Appropriate vs. Suitable
Next Comparison
Hen vs. RoosterAuthor Spotlight
Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
