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Criterion vs Characteristics - What's the difference?

criterion | characteristics |

As nouns the difference between criterion and characteristics

is that criterion is a standard or test by which individual things or people may be compared and judged while characteristics is .

criterion

English

Alternative forms

* (nonstandard) * criterium

Noun

(criteria)
  • A standard or test by which individual things or people may be compared and judged.
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2013-11-30, volume=409, issue=8864, magazine=(The Economist), author=Paul Davis
  • , title= Letters: Say it as simply as possible , passage=Congratulations on managing to use the phrase “preponderant criterion ” in a chart (“ On your marks”, November 9th). Was this the work of a kakorrhaphiophobic journalist set a challenge by his colleagues, or simply an example of glossolalia?}}

    Usage notes

    * The plural form criterions also exists, but is much less common. * The form criteria is sometimes used as a nonstandard singular form (as in a criteria'', ''this criteria , and so on), with corresponding plural form criterias. In this use, it sometimes means “a single criterion”, sometimes “a set of criteria”.

    characteristics

    English

    Noun

    (head)