characteristic vs usual

characteristic

noun
  • A distinguishing feature of a person or thing. 

  • For a given field or ring, a natural number that is either the smallest positive number n such that n instances of the multiplicative identity (1) summed together yield the additive identity (0) or, if no such number exists, the number 0. 

  • The integer part of a logarithm. 

  • The distinguishing features of a navigational light on a lighthouse etc by which it can be identified (colour, pattern of flashes etc.). 

adj
  • Being a distinguishing feature of a person or thing. 

usual

noun
  • The typical state of something, or something that is typical. 

  • A specific good or service (e.g. a drink) that someone typically orders. 

adj
  • Most commonly occurring; typical. 

How often have the words characteristic and usual occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )