What indicates a more covalent character in a type of interaction?

A lower electronegativity difference between two atoms indicates a greater covalent character in their bond. In covalent bonding, atoms share electrons rather than transferring them entirely, which tends to occur when there is a significant difference in electronegativity—that is, when one atom has a much stronger ability to attract electrons compared to another.

When the electronegativity difference is small, both atoms have a similar tendency to attract electrons, leading to a shared bonding situation that is characteristic of covalent bonds. This sharing of electrons results in the formation of a bond that retains a degree of shared character rather than being predominantly ionic, which would result from a larger electronegativity difference.

In contrast, a high electronegativity difference typically signifies a stronger ionic character since one atom has a much greater pull on the electrons than the other, leading to greater electron transfer rather than sharing. Weak bond formation is generally indicative of weak interactions or transient interactions rather than providing insight into the covalent nature of a bond. High ionic character explicitly describes the tendency towards ionic bonding rather than the sharing of electrons that characterizes covalent interactions.