Open the Styles and Formatting window (press F11) and click the second button in the top bar  . The list of available character styles is displayed. To apply a character style, follow these steps:

1. Select the block of text where you wish to apply the style.
2. Double-click the appropriate character style in the Styles and Formatting window.

Some examples include:

This example uses the OOo-supplied Strong Emphasis character style for the word "Definition".

Definition: A statement describing the meaning of a word or phrase.

One difference between character styles and paragraph styles is the need for selecting text (highlighting). Character styles require you to select the text you want to apply them to; paragraph styles do not.

Unset/undo character styles

Sometimes, you will want to remove the formatting from a block of text. You must resist the temptation to do this manually. This will only cause trouble down the road. There are three easy ways to remove character formatting:

• Select the block of text and right-click and choose Default Formatting.
• If you have the Styles and Formatting window open, select the block of text and double-click the Default character style.
• Select the block of text, then press Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar.

The first method also works for removing manual formatting.