trait

American  

[treyt, trey] / treɪt, treɪ /

noun

traits plural

1. a distinguishing characteristic or quality, especially of one's personal nature.

   bad traits of character.

   Synonyms:

   property, attribute, mark, peculiarity

2. a pen or pencil stroke.

3. a stroke, touch, or strain, as of some quality.

   a trait of pathos; a trait of ready wit.

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trait British  

/ treɪ, treɪt /

noun

1. a characteristic feature or quality distinguishing a particular person or thing

2. rare a touch or stroke

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trait Scientific  

/ trāt /

1. A genetically determined characteristic or condition. Traits may be physical, such as hair color or leaf shape, or they may be behavioral, such as nesting in birds and burrowing in rodents. Traits typically result from the combined action of several genes, though some traits are expressed by a single gene.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• traits
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

trait traits

He does things his own way and there are times, like last week, when that makes him appear self-absorbed - a trait that does not usually play well in a golf locker room.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

Monroe’s personal legacy is like a charm bracelet hung with more unsubstantiated rumors than genuine facts, but one undeniable trait was her thirst to defy the world’s expectations.

From Salon ● Jul. 6, 2026

There, she absorbed the Spanish mentality of intense point construction, learning to take the ball early and fight for every point — a trait that translates well to all surfaces.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

Many surveys have found that economic optimism, long considered a core American trait, has given way to a pervasive unease.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

He seems to have some kind of indefinable trait, something powerful and contagious and irresistible that goes beyond what comes out of his mouth, that makes people who meet him want to agree with him.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

Beyond making us laugh, Neill’s wit was one of those special traits that enhanced all the other aspects that made him so lovable as both an actor and a person.

From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026

They focus on AI tools -- whether text, audio, video or another form -- that have anthropomorphic personality traits and communication styles.

From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026

These are perhaps not exactly the traits you’d expect from a remake of “The Wizard of Oz.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

Although scientists have identified unique immune system traits in many centenarians, the metabolic changes associated with healthy aging have remained less clear.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 5, 2026

Scientists wanted to grow cellular clones—lines of cells descended from individual cells —so they could harness those unique traits.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

Related Words

• attribute
• character
• feature
• habit
• idiosyncrasy
• manner
• oddity
• peculiarity
• quality
• quirk
• trick
• virtue