What term is used to describe shared characteristics, such as language and culture, among members of a group?

The term that refers to shared characteristics among members of a group, including language and culture, is ethnicity. Ethnicity encompasses various elements such as cultural traditions, languages, customs, and shared history, which can bind a group of people together.

In contrast, culture refers more broadly to the values, beliefs, and practices of a society or social group, which may overlap with ethnic identity but is not limited to it. Nationality generally pertains to the status of belonging to a specific nation, often linked to citizenship, rather than the shared cultural aspects of a group. Race is a classification based on physical characteristics, such as skin color, rather than shared cultural traits. Thus, ethnicity specifically captures the concept of shared characteristics like language and culture among members of a group.