trait

noun

ˈtrāt How to pronounce trait (audio)
Definition of traitnext
as in characteristic
something that sets apart an individual from others of the same kind honesty is one of her defining traits

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of trait Such color variations are thought to be associated with camouflage, protection against parasites and ultraviolet radiation, and the effects of pleiotropic genes (genes that influence more than one, usually unrelated, physical trait or phenotype). — Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Sep. 2026 The reverse-direction analysis did not find strong evidence that the perianal diseases examined causally drive sleep disorders or general sleep traits, though an association surfaced between anal fissures and sleep duration. — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2026 In practice, there were a range of depictions of these goddesses in ancient Greece—their number, their names, and their traits differ across sources. — Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026 An outgoing mother may pass along genetic variants that make her child more likely to be outgoing too, but her daughter is not destined to share the trait. — Jessica Craig, Popular Science, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for trait
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trait
  1. characteristic
  2. feature
  3. attribute
  4. quality
  5. attribution
Noun
  • What’s more useful in understanding the world is a straightforward accounting of it—a kind of double-entry inventory of its characteristics.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Tactile sensor data has very different characteristics to the image data VLAs are normally trained on, and tactile datasets lag far behind the internet-scale of many vision and language datasets.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of characteristic
Noun
  • Factory floor gets smarter One of the main features planned for BIC North is ASML’s new flow factory, a manufacturing model designed for its TWINSCAN lithography systems.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
  • When the device is closed, a smaller exterior screen on the front cover provides quick access to key apps and features.
    — Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of feature
Noun
  • Characters disappear, or have their attributes and actions assigned to different characters.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • In recent years, interest in particular attributes, like low-carb beers, has also been a factor in consumer preferences.
    — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of attribute
Noun
  • Researchers need to establish what remains in the purified water and whether those substances could affect drug quality or patient safety.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2026
  • As the pair chase show jumping immortality this weekend, those are the qualities that will be needed to make history.
    — Danielle Rossingh, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of quality
Noun
  • There’s an assumption that the second half is Shakespeare’s, but scholars continue to quarrel over attribution.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The attribution of liability that the author references is but one example.
    — Torie Bosch, STAT, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of attribution

Browse Nearby Words

traipsing
trait
traitor
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Cite this Entry

“Trait.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trait. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on trait

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about trait

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