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
Low curiosity, low humility, low openness to feedback — these are precisely the traits that both predict the need for change and predict resistance to it.
—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Cooper says personality traits, brain chemistry, past experiences and social context may all play a part.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 18 June 2026
But that only presented more questions because the fossil didn’t show any classic amphibian tadpole traits.
—Sarah Durn, Popular Science, 18 June 2026
The first idea is that the earliest strains didn’t have the right genetic traits to be really lethal.
—ArsTechnica, 18 June 2026
The former Kansas quarterback possesses a lot of traits — in terms of size, arm strength and mobility — as Baker Mayfield, who may be a perfect mentor for Daniels.
—Rick Stroud, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 June 2026
Adult Karelian bear dogs weigh about 44 to 49 pounds, according to the AKC breed profile, and run middle-of-the-line on most social and personality traits (though they’re not considered particularly good with young children).
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 17 June 2026
Humanoid robots such as Pepper are designed to look and behave in ways that resemble humans, featuring recognizable traits such as heads, eyes, hands, facial expressions, and conversational abilities.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 12 June 2026
Openness and a deep well of emotion, valuable traits for an actor, may not equip him to wage PR warfare as conducted in the social media age.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 10 June 2026
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Cooper says personality traits, brain chemistry, past experiences and social context may all play a part.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 18 June 2026
But that only presented more questions because the fossil didn’t show any classic amphibian tadpole traits.
—Sarah Durn, Popular Science, 18 June 2026
The first idea is that the earliest strains didn’t have the right genetic traits to be really lethal.
—ArsTechnica, 18 June 2026
The former Kansas quarterback possesses a lot of traits — in terms of size, arm strength and mobility — as Baker Mayfield, who may be a perfect mentor for Daniels.
—Rick Stroud, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 June 2026
Adult Karelian bear dogs weigh about 44 to 49 pounds, according to the AKC breed profile, and run middle-of-the-line on most social and personality traits (though they’re not considered particularly good with young children).
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 17 June 2026
Humanoid robots such as Pepper are designed to look and behave in ways that resemble humans, featuring recognizable traits such as heads, eyes, hands, facial expressions, and conversational abilities.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 12 June 2026
Openness and a deep well of emotion, valuable traits for an actor, may not equip him to wage PR warfare as conducted in the social media age.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 10 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for traits
Noun
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According to the researchers, characteristics that reliably convey useful information can become increasingly important if other species benefit from responding to them.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
20 June 2026
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That debate has sharpened after the Fifth Circuit’s decision in Sirius Solutions, which rejected the IRS’s emphasis on a taxpayer’s active participation and instead focused on the statute and the legal characteristics of limited partner status, including liability protection.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
Noun
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But for all his noble qualities, my dad was a horrible golfer.—
John Dunlap,
Charlotte Observer,
18 June 2026
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And importantly, philanthropy is only one way to develop those qualities.—
Kris Putnam-Walkerly,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Noun
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In addition to opacity, each of us prioritize varying secondary attributes in concealer (wrinkle-smoothing, crease-resistance, and ease of use, for instance).—
Sophie Wirt,
InStyle,
14 June 2026
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The cryptographic method, the affected data, the regulatory scope, the time horizon and the financial consequence are recorded as attributes beneath the primary event, not as competing parallel risks.—
Maman Ibrahim,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
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The mesh upper features perforated pockets that allow air to get into the shoe to prevent your feet from overheating no matter what the weather outside is looking like.—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
20 June 2026
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Immediate steps were taken to strengthen access controls for customer profile data, and additional security features will be added in the future.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
Noun
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The work has bounced between several attributions over the years before scholar Giuseppe Porzio identified it as a painting by Glielmo, giving bidders a fresh reason to take notice.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
3 June 2026
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Political discussions on social media are often dominated by competing attributions of more and more insidious motives to people on the other side.—
Mark Schroeder,
The Conversation,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Traits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/traits. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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