attraction

[ uh-trak-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act, power, or property of attracting.
2. attractive quality; magnetic charm; fascination; allurement; enticement:

   the subtle attraction of her strange personality.

   Synonyms: lure, appeal

3. a person or thing that draws, attracts, allures, or entices:

   The main attraction was the after-dinner speaker.

4. a characteristic or quality that provides pleasure; attractive feature:

   The chief attractions of the evening were the good drinks and witty conversation.

5. Physics. the electric or magnetic force that acts between oppositely charged bodies, tending to draw them together.
6. an entertainment offered to the public.

   Synonyms: spectacle, show

attraction

/ əˈtrækʃən /

noun

1. the act, power, or quality of attracting
2. a person or thing that attracts or is intended to attract
3. a force by which one object attracts another, such as the gravitational or electrostatic force
4. a change in the form of one linguistic element caused by the proximity of another element

Other Words From

• at·traction·al·ly adverb
• reat·traction noun
• super·at·traction noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of attraction¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English attraccioun, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin attractiōn-, stem of attractiō; equivalent to attract + -ion

Example Sentences

"I think it's a big part of the attraction because no-one knows who they are," says fan Devon, from Plymouth.

From BBC

But Ireland's Taylor and Puerto Rican Serrano are no longer the star attraction on the bill.

From BBC

But then, he said that he was feeling a lot of attraction for me.

From Los Angeles Times

Lothian Buses said was forced to withdraw services after 16 of its vehicles were damaged and an open-top bus carrying young people with disabilities was targeted outside the city’s Dynamic Earth attraction.

From BBC

Mr DePree, who directed and starred in the 1999 comedy The Last Big Attraction, said the council had told him that because the hall is completely surrounded by Hopwood Hall college's grounds, it needed its own independent access road.

From BBC

Related Words

• allure
• appeal
• attractiveness
• interest