character and quality share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. character means “an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)”. quality means “an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone”. character is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈkɛɹɪktɚ/
1.n.an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
“she is the main character in the novel”
2.n.a characteristic property that defines the apparent individual nature of something
“each town has a quality all its own”
3.n.the inherent complex of attributes that determines a persons moral and ethical actions and reactions
“education has for its object the formation of character”
| character | quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɛɹɪktɚ/ | /ˈkwɑləti/ |
| Said | KER-ik-tur | KWAH-luh-tee |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| Letters | 9 | 7 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | noun, adjective |
| Senses | 10 | 7 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | fictional character, fictitious character | none recorded |
Full entry for character · Full entry for quality · More comparisons
/ˈkwɑləti/
1.n.an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone
“the quality of mercy is not strained”
2.n.a degree or grade of excellence or worth
“the quality of students has risen”
3.n.a characteristic property that defines the apparent individual nature of something
“each town has a quality all its own”