attraction

American  

[uh-trak-shuhn] / əˈtræk ʃən /

noun

1. the act, power, or property of attracting.

2. attractive quality; magnetic charm; fascination; allurement; enticement.

   the subtle attraction of her strange personality.

   Synonyms:

   lure, appeal

3. a person or thing that draws, attracts, allures, or entices.

   The main attraction was the after-dinner speaker.

4. a characteristic or quality that provides pleasure; attractive feature.

   The chief attractions of the evening were the good drinks and witty conversation.

5. Physics. the electric or magnetic force that acts between oppositely charged bodies, tending to draw them together.

6. an entertainment offered to the public.

   Synonyms:

   spectacle, show

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attraction British  

/ əˈtrækʃən /

noun

1. the act, power, or quality of attracting

2. a person or thing that attracts or is intended to attract

3. a force by which one object attracts another, such as the gravitational or electrostatic force

4. a change in the form of one linguistic element caused by the proximity of another element

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Other Word Forms

• attractionally adverb
• reattraction noun
• superattraction noun

Etymology

Origin of attraction

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English attraccioun, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin attractiōn-, stem of attractiō; equivalent to attract + -ion

Example Sentences

Hargeisa, capital of the breakaway Republic of Somaliland, abuts hot spots like Somalia and Yemen but lacks the constant coups, wars, riots, terrorist attacks, ideological reckonings and other usual attractions for roving correspondents.

From The Wall Street Journal

Famed for his long tusks, Craig the elephant was a major attraction at the park near the Tanzanian border.

From BBC

The blaze broke out in the early hours at the Vondelkerk, a tourist attraction that has overlooked one of the city's top parks since 1872.

From Barron's

A passenger has described "chaos" after two trains collided head-on near Peru's most popular tourist attraction, Machu Picchu.

From BBC

But it risks "becoming a mere tourist attraction", it adds.

From Barron's

Related Words

• allure
• appeal
• attractiveness
• interest