as in characteristics
something that sets apart an individual from others of the same kind
honesty is one of her defining traits
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Recent Examples of traits
The American Culture Quiz is a weekly test of our unique national traits, trends, history and people, including current events and the sights and sounds of the United States.
—
Kelly McGreal , Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 9 Nov. 2025
Yes, the actor inhabited some of Burt’s traits and flourishes, and his conservative style of lawyering came through.
—Sarah Weinman, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 2025
Even if those traits have been on display for years and Antetokounmpo has stacked up great performances for over a decade, Turner believes people need to take time to appreciate his consistent excellence.
—Eric Nehm, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2025
By subverting trust and building paranoia to screeching highs, The Thing exploits some of humanity's worst traits.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 8 Nov. 2025
Even though much of Michigan is expected to see a relatively mild winter, several key atmospheric traits are already in place that could support brief bursts of heavy snow and extreme cold.
—Brandi D. Addison, Freep.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Back then, however, no one knew what physical substance or mechanism was actually responsible for traits being passed from a parent on to offspring, despite the pioneering genetics work of Gregor Mendel and his pea plants in the 19th century.
—Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 7 Nov. 2025
Larkin, a proto-punk, poked fun at the way humans, just by procreating, pass their worst traits to their children and beyond, through infinity.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
Calendar tracks are defined by traits including materials, testing needs and seasonality.
—Raj Dhiman, Sourcing Journal, 6 Nov. 2025
Kelly McGreal , Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 9 Nov. 2025
Yes, the actor inhabited some of Burt’s traits and flourishes, and his conservative style of lawyering came through.
—Sarah Weinman, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 2025
Even if those traits have been on display for years and Antetokounmpo has stacked up great performances for over a decade, Turner believes people need to take time to appreciate his consistent excellence.
—Eric Nehm, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2025
By subverting trust and building paranoia to screeching highs, The Thing exploits some of humanity's worst traits.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 8 Nov. 2025
Even though much of Michigan is expected to see a relatively mild winter, several key atmospheric traits are already in place that could support brief bursts of heavy snow and extreme cold.
—Brandi D. Addison, Freep.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Back then, however, no one knew what physical substance or mechanism was actually responsible for traits being passed from a parent on to offspring, despite the pioneering genetics work of Gregor Mendel and his pea plants in the 19th century.
—Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 7 Nov. 2025
Larkin, a proto-punk, poked fun at the way humans, just by procreating, pass their worst traits to their children and beyond, through infinity.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
Calendar tracks are defined by traits including materials, testing needs and seasonality.
—Raj Dhiman, Sourcing Journal, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for traits
Noun
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Published in Aerospace Science and Technology, the study describes that the Accurate prediction of aerodynamic drag characteristics across a wide range of wing-body configurations is crucial in the early design stages of transonic commercial transport aircraft.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Nov. 2025
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In fact, failure is one of the key characteristics of Silicon Valley.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Ekitike could cause City problems with his ability to stretch the play and ball-carrying qualities.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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Making Intentionality a Priority Since the beginning, Mark and Alexis’ work as Arizona personal injury lawyers has been grounded in passion, relationships, and respect, and these qualities remain to this day.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Tire shops often list the attributes of different tires along with average customer review scores online.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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The lab is home to two highly advanced legged humanoid robots, with the largest standing about 6 feet tall and the smaller reaching roughly the height of a 10-year-old child, as well as a quadruped robot with dog-like attributes and the build of a beagle.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Since 2022, numerous campuses have added new safety features – such as installing more cameras on campus and hiring additional police officers – while also working to strengthen their relationships with federal and local law enforcement, according to Inside Higher Ed.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
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DeZao says one of AI’s most helpful features is its ability to receive instructions and do its work while the human employee can remain focused on the task at hand.—
Rachel Curry,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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This post was corrected on 21 January 2021 to clarify attributions.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
12 Jan. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Traits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/traits. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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