attraction
Americannoun
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attractions
plural
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the act, power, or property of attracting.
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attractive quality; magnetic charm; fascination; allurement; enticement.
the subtle attraction of her strange personality.
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a person or thing that draws, attracts, allures, or entices.
The main attraction was the after-dinner speaker.
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a characteristic or quality that provides pleasure; attractive feature.
The chief attractions of the evening were the good drinks and witty conversation.
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Physics. the electric or magnetic force that acts between oppositely charged bodies, tending to draw them together.
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an entertainment offered to the public.
noun
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the act, power, or quality of attracting
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a person or thing that attracts or is intended to attract
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a force by which one object attracts another, such as the gravitational or electrostatic force
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a change in the form of one linguistic element caused by the proximity of another element
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
Explanation
The charm or special quality of something that draws you to it is its attraction. The attraction of a college might be its sports program, for example, or the attraction of a job might be its high pay. An attraction can be a physical force as well as a psychological one — though sometimes, as with love, it can be hard to tell the two apart. Planets have a gravitational attraction to each other, as do opposite magnetic poles. Attraction can also refer to a public entertainment, such as a popular place or a performer or event. You might line up to visit a tourist attraction, or look forward to seeing the main attraction go onstage.
Vocabulary lists containing attraction
Electricity and Magnetism - Introductory
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Structure and Properties of Matter - Middle School
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Physics - Introductory
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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:
The loop, also known as the Mach Loop, is an attraction for aviation enthusiasts and photographers.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
Replacing human work is an attraction for corporate customers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Little g refers to the acceleration an object experiences because of the gravitational attraction of a nearby large body such as Earth.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
She also called out Disneyland for its exhaust-spewing Autopia attraction, along with former Times climate columnist Sammy Roth, and Disneyland responded by announcing in 2024 that it was switching to electric cars beginning in 2027.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
The attraction between the unlike charges of electrons and protons is what holds the atom together.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Lowering the pH makes the tissue more acidic and temporarily weakens some of the electrical attractions that keep its structure rigid.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 29, 2026
It has long been one of the park’s main attractions, featuring seats that spin forward and backward 360 degrees.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
Beyond the apartment itself, its coveted downtown location places its next owner within easy reach of some of Manhattan’s best-known neighborhoods and attractions.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
But unlike Rome and Florence, many of its major attractions are nearly crowd-free, and smartphones will help you to find your way into and out of even the most cramped caruggi.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
I stand on the swirling marbled floor, surrounded by posters of coming attractions.
From "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher
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.
