Fig. typical of someone's behavior. For Tom to shout that way wasn't at all in character. He's usually quite pleasant.It was quite in character for Sally to walk away angry.
Consistent with someone's general personality or behavior. For example, Her failure to answer the invitation was completely in character. This usage dates from the mid-1700s, as does the antonym, out of character, as in It was out of character for him to refuse the assignment.