attraction

American  

[uh-trak-shuhn] / əˈtræk ʃən /

noun

• attractions
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• reattraction
  noun
• superattraction
  noun
• attractionally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• attractions
  plural

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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

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

attraction attractions

But each fall, he transforms into the Captain — the undead host of festivities at the Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor, a haunted attraction held in Long Beach during the Halloween season.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026

When two celestial bodies orbit one another, their mutual gravitational attraction causes both to move around a shared center of mass.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2026

Food appears to be the main attraction in many out-of-the-way places.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

Yes, the main attraction represented the bugle-beads-and-bouffant aesthetic of Nashville.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

At her dock on the River Thames in London, Endurance became a major tourist attraction.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

Spurs fan Rosewen had similar views: "They can offer attractions to tempt people through the gates but we're losing sight of football and the importance of winning."

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

Thirteenth Floor hosts attractions all over the nation, employing more than 4,000 seasonal employees.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026

The tower’s location will also place residents within walking distance of the upscale boutiques, restaurants, and cultural attractions that have helped transform the surrounding neighborhood into one of Miami’s most sought-after destinations.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026

Another way to draw visitors is to highlight the valley's natural attractions and its food and hotel offerings.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

“Yes it is,” said I, “because I cannot bear that people should say, ‘she throws away her graces and attractions on a mere boor, the lowest in the crowd.’”

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

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Related Words

• allure
• appeal
• attractiveness
• interest

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