trait
Americannoun
-
traits
plural
-
a distinguishing characteristic or quality, especially of one's personal nature.
bad traits of character.
- Synonyms:
- property, attribute, mark, peculiarity
-
a pen or pencil stroke.
-
a stroke, touch, or strain, as of some quality.
a trait of pathos; a trait of ready wit.
noun
-
a characteristic feature or quality distinguishing a particular person or thing
-
rare a touch or stroke
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of trait
First recorded in 1470–80; from Middle French: literally, “something drawn,” from Latin tractus; see tract 1
Explanation
A trait is something about you that makes you "you." When your mother says that you get all your best traits from her, she means you have the same charming smile and the same brilliant mind as she has. In science, trait refers to a characteristic that is caused by genetics. Having green eyes or being shorter than average are traits a person might have. In more general use, a trait is an important part of someone’s personality or appearance. Try to describe your favorite teacher in three words and you’ll probably come up with a list of her essential traits — such as compassionate, calm, and kooky.
Vocabulary lists containing trait
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 6
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The New SAT: The Language of the Test
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Although not as impressive overall as other 2-0 sides, that ability to win games at the death is a familiar trait with Philly - and will make them dangerous all season again.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Slaughter has shown the most important trait in new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel’s system: conviction.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026
Apparently, this trait is as annoying in humans as it is in AI.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
Researchers compared participants' genetic data with differences in their personality scores to identify genetic variants associated with each trait.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026
A trait that goes underground for decades only to reappear when everyone has forgotten about it.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Rhoa has shown his skill level and leadership against a bevy of highly ranked opponents so far this season, but his toughest task may come against a player who has seen his best traits firsthand.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
They compared imported varieties for such traits as maturity, yield, plant form and suitability for seed or hay, selecting strains that showed promise for cultivation in the United States.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
Jayakody adds, "Microbes are very clever. So, we are using their traits to solve the problems we created."
From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026
Instead, some people may experience pronounced signs of aging while also retaining biological traits that help protect against many of its harmful consequences.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
The same evolutionary forces prevailed to replicate a particular model’s positive traits and breed out excess drag and instability.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
