Character - definition

Whenever a letter, number, symbol, or other sign is used in written or printed language, it is represented by a character, which is a unit of information. The fundamental units of writing, characters are employed to convey meaning and information.
Characters are often represented in computer programming and computing by numerical codes, such as ASCII or Unicode, which are used to encode characters into a digital format that computers can understand. Each character in a character set is given a distinct numeric code that enables electronic representation and manipulation of that character. The creation of words, phrases, and paragraphs—the building blocks of longer publications like books, articles, and web pages—can be done using characters. Characters can have different uses and meanings depending on the language, culture, and setting in which they are utilized.