trait

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noun \ ˈtrāt , British usually ˈtrā \

Definition of trait

1 a :a distinguishing quality (as of personal character)

curiosity is one of her notable traits

b :an inherited characteristic

2 a :a stroke of or as if of a pencil

b :touch, trace

See trait defined for English-language learners

See trait defined for kids

Examples of trait in a Sentence

This dog breed has a number of desirable traits.
honesty is one of her defining traits

Recent Examples of trait from the Web

As an undrafted rookie out of Wyoming, Gentry has flashed traits that have propelled him into contention for the 53-man roster when the first version is set Saturday.

— rich campbell, chicagotribune.com, "How Tanner Gentry is pushing for Bears roster spot as an undrafted rookie," 30 Aug. 2017
Wide receivers coach Kodi Burns has been particularly impressed with Davis' attention to detail, noting how that particular trait has benefitted the receiver over the last three-plus months.

— tom green, AL.com, "Auburn 'looking for big things' out of receiver Kyle Davis this season," 30 Aug. 2017
Like a contestant on one of his reality TV shows, Trump has taken on contrasting personas, showcasing divergent traits with flourishes seemingly to survive another day of his beleaguered presidency.

— david a. graham, The Atlantic, "How to Tell Which Donald Trump Will Deliver a Speech," 24 Aug. 2017
But who would read an 800-word explainer on the distribution of personality traits between the sexes when a respectable young man is giving you permission to ignore annoying internet feminists forever?

— kat stoeffel, The Cut, "What I Got Wrong About Misogyny," 24 Aug. 2017
As was a defining trait of the sugar industry worldwide, slave labor was relied upon at the Hamilton Estate.

— susan b. barnes, Smithsonian, "Walk in the Footsteps of Alexander Hamilton on This Tiny Caribbean Island," 23 Aug. 2017
Each storage technique corresponds to a personality trait that stems from a categorization method called 'alignment.'

— kelly o'sullivan, Country Living, "What Type of Person You Are, According to How You Store Your Bread," 15 Aug. 2017
Dozens of high school football players from multiple area schools participated in a combine that tested for behavioral and physical traits designed to arm coaches and players with data to maximize the potential of the individual and team.

— kyle neddenriep, The Courier-Journal, "Sports science — the next frontier — comes to high school sports," 28 July 2017
While the Prince is preparing to retire from public duties at the age of 96, these are the traits he will always be remembered for.

— katie jones, Town & Country, "Prince Philip's Tragic Childhood," 24 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'trait.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.