trait

trait — noun

1. a quality in a person's character that shows in how they think, feel, and behave

1.nounB2
Definition

a quality in a person's character that shows in how they think, feel, and behave — for example, being naturally patient, honest, or quick to anger.

Example

Élise's most noticeable trait is her endless patience with struggling students.

adjective + trait: most noticeable trait

A stubborn streak is a common trait in children who are learning to assert themselves.

trait in somebody: trait in children

Common collocations
  • personality trait
  • character trait
  • dominant trait
  • positive trait
  • negative trait
  • admirable trait
  • undesirable trait
  • common trait
  • shared trait
  • a trait of
Synonyms
  • characteristic

    more neutral and general; wider use for both people and things

  • quality

    often positive; focuses on a good or desirable feature

  • attribute

    formal; often used in professional or technical contexts

  • mannerism

    narrower — only covers small physical or verbal habits

Grammar Patterns

adjective + trait

trait of + noun/-ing form

trait in somebody

Usage Note

Often modified by an adjective (positive, negative, dominant, rare) to evaluate the quality. The pattern 'a trait of + noun/gerund' describes something seen as typical of a group: 'a trait of good leaders'.

Common Mistakes

Generous is a good trait to have.
Generosity is a good trait to have.
use a noun (generosity), not an adjective (generous), with 'trait'.
One of her trait is patience.
One of her traits is patience.
'one of' must be followed by a plural noun.

2. a physical or biological feature that is passed from parents to children through

2.nounB2
Definition

a physical or biological feature that is passed from parents to children through genes — for example, eye color, blood type, or a tendency toward a particular disease.

Example

Curly hair is a dominant genetic trait in Yuna's family on her mother's side.

genetic trait + dominant/recessive distinction

The biologist showed how flower color is a trait passed through a single gene.

simple trait = controlled by one gene

Common collocations
  • genetic trait
  • inherited trait
  • dominant trait
  • recessive trait
  • physical trait
  • biological trait
  • family trait
  • trait for
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

genetic/inherited + trait

trait for + noun

dominant/recessive + trait

Usage Note

Common in biology and medicine. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 is about physical or biological features (eye color, disease risk), not personality. For genetic inheritance, trait is typically paired with dominant, recessive, inherited, or genetic.

Common Mistakes

Blue eyes are a personality trait.
Blue eyes are a genetic trait.
physical features are inherited traits, not personality traits.

Word family

  • traits
    nounB2
  • trait-based
    adjectiveC1
  • traitlessness
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe something true about a person or thing. Characteristic is the most neutral and general — it can apply to people, objects, or abstract ideas (e.g., 'a characteristic of modern architecture'). Feature often refers to a noticeable or designed part of something physical or a product ('the phone's main feature is its camera'). Attribute is more formal and tends to be used in professional or technical writing ('leadership is a key attribute for the role'). Quality is often positive and suggests a desirable or valued aspect ('she has many good qualities, but patience is her best'). For describing a stable, defining part of someone's personality, trait is the most natural and specific choice, while characteristic is the safest fallback.

characteristic ↗feature ↗attribute ↗quality ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • a trait of character
  • a family trait
  • a dominant trait

Prepositions

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

Trait comes from the French word 'trait' meaning a stroke or a line — originally, something drawn or marked. The meaning shifted from a 'stroke of the pen' to a 'stroke of character' in the 18th century, and eventually to a distinguishing quality or feature. The scientific use for inherited biological features developed in the 19th century alongside modern genetics.