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Synonyms

trait

American  
[treyt, trey] / treɪt, treɪ /

noun

  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.
trait British  
/ treɪ, treɪt /

noun

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

  2. rare a touch or stroke

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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.

Etymology

Origin of trait

First recorded in 1470–80; from Middle French: literally, “something drawn,” from Latin tractus; 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.

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Vocabulary lists containing trait

Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List

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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 6

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The New SAT: The Language of the Test

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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.

Clearly, strength of mind is a positive character trait.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

The study included 144 adults who had moderate trait anxiety and were already taking medication to help manage their symptoms.

From Science Daily • Mar. 16, 2026

Loeb believes the trait comes from Mpoyi’s strong faith.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026

I see this same trait among the patients, families, caregivers, friends and researchers who comprise the rare-disease community.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

Max shared that same trait when he was angry.

From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway

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.