TRAIT Definition & Meaning

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trait

[ treyt; British also trey ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a distinguishing characteristic or quality, especially of one's personal nature:
bad traits of character.
Synonyms: , , ,
a pen or pencil stroke.
a stroke, touch, or strain, as of some quality:
a trait of pathos; a trait of ready wit.

trait

/ treɪ; treɪt /

noun

a characteristic feature or quality distinguishing a particular person or thing
rare.
a touch or stroke

trait

/ �ٰ�� /

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.

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of trait¹

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

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of trait¹

C16: from French, from Old French: a pulling, from Latin tractus , from trahere to drag

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Over time, they adapted to murky, shallow rivers, developing traits that set them apart from their ocean-dwelling cousins.

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Yet the very traits that made him a formidable prosecutor would hamper him as president.

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And she says some of her character's "feisty" and "independent" traits have helped her in her real life.

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Keep these traits in check the next time you find yourself in a horror film scenario: curiosity—the genre’s original sin—and dissatisfaction, its slipperier cousin.

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“Beyond obvious issues with conflating ‘DEI’ and ‘environmental justice,’ these EPA grants helped ensure that all people — regardless of immutable traits — enjoy a healthy environment.”

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