traction

American  

[trak-shuhn] / ˈtræk ʃən /

noun

1. the adhesive friction of a body on some surface, as a wheel on a rail or a tire on a road.

2. the action of drawing a body, vehicle, train, or the like, along a surface, as a road, track, railroad, or waterway.

3. Medicine/Medical. the deliberate and prolonged pulling of a muscle, organ, or the like, as by weights, to correct dislocation, relieve pressure, etc.

4. transportation by means of railroads.

5. the act of drawing or pulling.

6. the state of being drawn.

7. the support or momentum needed to advance something or make it successful.

   Her proposal failed to gain traction among our board members.

8. attracting power or influence; attraction.

   The main character feels the traction of fate.

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traction British  

/ ˈtræktɪv, ˈtrækʃən /

noun

1. the act of drawing or pulling, esp by motive power

2. the state of being drawn or pulled

3. med the application of a steady pull on a part during healing of a fractured or dislocated bone, using a system of weights and pulleys or splints

4. the adhesive friction between a wheel and a surface, as between a driving wheel of a motor vehicle and the road

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traction Scientific  

/ trăk′shən /

1. Static friction, as of a wheel on a track or a tire on a road.

2. See more at friction

3. A sustained pulling force applied mechanically to a part of the body by means of a weighted apparatus in order to correct the position of fractured or dislocated bones, especially of the arm, leg, or neck.

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Other Word Forms

• nontraction noun
• tractional adjective
• tractive adjective

Etymology

Origin of traction

First recorded in 1605–15; from Medieval Latin tractiōn- (stem of tractiō ) “act of drawing,” equivalent to tract(us) (past participle of trahere “to draw, drag, pull”) + -iōn-; -ion

Explanation

In medicine, traction is the act of pulling on bones or limbs in a certain way to help with healing. An arm in traction is temporarily tied up, but it is probably on the mend. A person in traction is presently immobile, but traction can also be used to describe the state of an object being pulled, or the friction between that object and the surface it is pulled across. Traction can also refer to something or someone that has picked up movement, like an idea or a candidate. If your idea for chocolate covered onions has gained traction, it is becoming popular; if it has lost traction, people have come to their senses.

Example Sentences

Eight serious but lesser-known candidates have struggled gain traction in California's enormous and expensive media market.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Amid a surge in demand for convenient protein, a Los Angeles-based frozen noodle brand is gaining traction.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

It recently debuted three new EVs in the U.S., including a forthcoming three-row SUV built in Kentucky, and its updated Toyota bZ crossover has gained traction.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

Even those who have turned to animal traction are having problems with feed.

From Salon • Apr. 11, 2026

Miss Trixie tried to break away from Mrs. Lew as they entered the office, but her pumps did not give her the traction that she was used to with sneakers, and she only wobbled.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

Related Words

• suction