Lyndon Johnson has always defied simple characterization.

But he defied easy political characterization because of his often expressed sympathies with Palestinians in lands under Israeli control and his opposition to international arms trading.

Emerging from earlier oral storytelling traditions in the 17th century, the short story has grown to encompass a body of work so diverse as to defy easy characterization.

And two years later, it seemed to take an even bigger gamble with the Lexus RX 300, a luxury utility that similarly defied characterization.

The resulting tars defied characterization but represented the opening chapter of what was to become the field of phenol/formaldehyde chemistry.

The events of the last two weeks, beginning with the mayor's announcement about his cancer, defy characterization.

Conservative Judaism, whose 2 million members make it the largest branch of the Jewish faith, has long defied easy characterization.

His temperament and his life defy easy characterization.

The people who have swarmed the capital defy ready characterization.

The incident defies easy characterization, even in the unpredictable world of British journalism.