tractive

adjective

trac·​tive ˈtrak-tiv 

1

: serving to draw

2

: of or relating to traction : tractional

Examples of tractive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Scamp's composite floor is secured to the steel chassis below and topped inside with a tractive rubber coin surface. — New Atlas, 19 Nov. 2025

The tractive effort greatly improves. — Alan Ohnsman, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025

Tires meant for EVs are engineered to withstand the additional weight, dynamic loading, and tractive demands of an EV, among other things. — Jim Resnick, Ars Technica, 22 Dec. 2022

That material sets fibers into a resin, producing a comfortable surface that’s almost soft to the touch, and which remains tractive when wet. — Outside Online, 18 Nov. 2022

This type has two sets of driving wheels connected by a joint and providing great tractive force. — Wayne Whittaker, Popular Mechanics, 26 Aug. 2021

Of course, in those days, the power source also provided the tractive force needed to set and keep the vehicle in motion. — Lyndon Conrad Bell, Houston Chronicle, 9 Aug. 2019

Word History

Etymology

Latin tractus, past participle

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tractive

• active
• attractive
• contractive
• extractive
• inactive
• proactive
• reactive
• refractive
• subtractive
• bioactive
• hyperactive
• interactive