as in characteristics
something that sets apart an individual from others of the same kind
honesty is one of her defining traits
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of traits
How a child responds to peer pressure can highlight different traits.
—
Amy Morin, Parents, 3 Apr. 2026
These are seven quietly powerful traits that the most emotionally secure people share.
—Jessica Weiss, CNBC, 3 Apr. 2026
Your zodiac sign, with its distinct personality traits and aesthetic leanings, offers a surprisingly fitting blueprint for finding a ring that feels deeply personal.
—Kelsey Stiegman, InStyle, 3 Apr. 2026
But other symptoms, including headaches, eye strain, and fatigue, can be triggered by the more physical traits of an office building, such as bright strip lighting, a lack of windows, or the smell of the carpets.
—Lindsay Dodgson, SELF, 2 Apr. 2026
Those are traits that had been thought to only spring to life at least 4 million years later in the Cambrian period, during what was called the Cambrian explosion of complex and recognizable animal life.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
The problem with tight ends, even one with the explosive receiving traits of Sadiq, who runs faster than most wide receivers, is that offenses are not designed to feature the tight end heavily.
—Michael Salfino, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Breeds were developed for specific tasks requiring certain traits.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
Instilling those traits through hard coaching doesn’t connect directly to how players respond to injuries or how those injuries are treated by training and medical staffs.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
Amy Morin, Parents, 3 Apr. 2026
These are seven quietly powerful traits that the most emotionally secure people share.
—Jessica Weiss, CNBC, 3 Apr. 2026
Your zodiac sign, with its distinct personality traits and aesthetic leanings, offers a surprisingly fitting blueprint for finding a ring that feels deeply personal.
—Kelsey Stiegman, InStyle, 3 Apr. 2026
But other symptoms, including headaches, eye strain, and fatigue, can be triggered by the more physical traits of an office building, such as bright strip lighting, a lack of windows, or the smell of the carpets.
—Lindsay Dodgson, SELF, 2 Apr. 2026
Those are traits that had been thought to only spring to life at least 4 million years later in the Cambrian period, during what was called the Cambrian explosion of complex and recognizable animal life.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
The problem with tight ends, even one with the explosive receiving traits of Sadiq, who runs faster than most wide receivers, is that offenses are not designed to feature the tight end heavily.
—Michael Salfino, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Breeds were developed for specific tasks requiring certain traits.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
Instilling those traits through hard coaching doesn’t connect directly to how players respond to injuries or how those injuries are treated by training and medical staffs.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for traits
Noun
-
The interface of the desktop website version includes key mission milestones and characteristics about the moon, including information about landing sites during the Apollo era.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Hegseth exhibits those characteristics, and our soldiers finally have someone to follow.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Clicking into the title will give you even more information, including a blurb about what parents need to know, a breakdown of potential concerns and positive qualities about the book, and reviews from kids.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Many plants are admired for their striking aesthetic qualities, and flowers such as tulips, lilies, sunflowers, and daisies beautify fields, gardens, windowsills, and bouquets the world over.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Going beyond the basics of a typical smart scale, the MorphoScan breaks down segmental muscle and fat for each arm, each leg, and your torso, similar to a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan, which is essentially a medical imagery test to gauge these same attributes.—
Andrew Gebhart,
PC Magazine,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Hints to motivations can be found by looking at California’s net out-migration stats by state and comparing those relocations with rankings of states for various attributes.—
Jeff Goertzen,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Anything stand out about other services and features?—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Apr. 2026
-
All four astronauts have been studying the moon extensively in their mission preparation, of course, but the precise launch date and time determined the specific features each would target during their all-too-fleeting close encounter, making this review time a necessity.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
