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 real attraction here is the sisterly camaraderie, the wacky family traditions like “midnight margaritas,” and the cuddly allure of all things feminine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Magic Mountain’s X2 remains shut down while state safety officials continue an investigation involving the attraction.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
Dutch peanut butter artwork proves to be a sticky attraction.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026
The first is the mutual attraction between partners.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 7, 2026
She suspected that he’d had a crush on her ever since they rescued him and his big sister Bianca from that military academy in Maine; but Annabeth had never felt any attraction to Nico.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
He said a permanent 0% or 5% VAT rate for attractions "would allow all of us to invest for the future".
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
Macron on X hailed the "unprecedented announcement", saying the attractions would be a "new global destination".
From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026
Similar signage also appears at the Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout! attractions, officials said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
At last, part of the Lincoln Memorial undercroft opened to the public earlier this summer, immediately taking its place as one of Washington’s most breathtaking attractions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
He always found the weirdest attractions, like the Bigfoot museum in Georgia.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
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.
