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Synonyms

trait

American  
[treyt, trey] / treɪt, treɪ /

noun

  1. a distinguishing characteristic or quality, especially of one's personal nature.

    bad traits of character.
    Synonyms:
    property, attribute, mark, peculiarity

  2. a pen or pencil stroke.

  3. a stroke, touch, or strain, as of some quality.

    a trait of pathos; a trait of ready wit.
trait British  
/ treɪ, treɪt /

noun

  1. a characteristic feature or quality distinguishing a particular person or thing

  2. rare a touch or stroke

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
trait Scientific  
/ trāt /

  1. A genetically determined characteristic or condition. Traits may be physical, such as hair color or leaf shape, or they may be behavioral, such as nesting in birds and burrowing in rodents. Traits typically result from the combined action of several genes, though some traits are expressed by a single gene.

Etymology

Origin of trait

First recorded in 1470–80; from Middle French: literally, “something drawn,” from Latin tractus; tract 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Some are mentally soothed by repeating specific words or phrases, a phenomenon known as echolalia, which can be misinterpreted by someone unfamiliar with the trait as mocking or uncooperative.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

That’s because the hook of the hamate is a significant contributor to grip strength—an important trait for anybody attempting to hit a ball as far as possible.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

Now, despite being impressive physical specimens, there is one bald eagle trait that doesn’t live up to what you might have seen on television—the patented bald eagle scream.

From Slate • Feb. 21, 2026

It can also reproduce without a partner, a trait that increases its ability to establish new populations after being transported.

From Science Daily • Feb. 14, 2026

Mom had said her uncles and grandpa were great hunters, that it was a family trait.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.