attribute

attribute — noun

IPA/ˈæt.rɪ.bjuːt/
KK[ˈætrəbjˌut]IPA/ˈæt.rɪ.bjuːt/
  • attributesingular
  • attributesplural

1. a part of someone's or something's nature that helps describe what they are like

1.nounC2
Definition

a part of someone's or something's nature that helps describe what they are like

Example

Patience is one of Mei's best attributes in the classroom.

one of + possessive + best attributes

Speed and strong brakes are useful attributes in a mountain bike.

before noun: useful attributes

Common collocations
  • key attribute
  • personal attributes
  • useful attribute
  • important attributes
  • attribute of a leader
Synonyms
  • quality

    the broadest everyday word for a characteristic.

  • trait

    often used for a person's habitual or natural qualities.

  • feature

    often used for things, products, or visible parts.

  • characteristic

    slightly more formal and often used in descriptions.

Grammar Patterns

an attribute of somebody/something

a useful attribute

personal attributes

Usage Note

Often used for qualities that matter in work, study, leadership, or products. It is more formal than trait or quality and often appears in lists of strengths or features.

Common Mistakes

Patience is a good attitude for a nurse.
Patience is a good attribute for a nurse.
attitude means a way of thinking; attribute means a quality someone has.

attribute — verb

IPA/əˈtrɪbjuːt/
KK[ətrˈɪbjˌut]IPA/əˈtrɪbjuːt/

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For noun sense 1, attribute is a slightly formal word for a quality that helps describe a person or thing. Quality is broader and works in everyday English for both good and bad points. Trait is especially common for someone's natural or repeated way of behaving. Feature is often used for products, systems, or visible parts, though it can also describe a quality. Characteristic is more formal and often appears in careful description or analysis. You might say patience is one of a nurse's best attributes, kindness is an important quality in a teacher, and a long battery life is a useful feature in a phone.

attribute ↗quality ↗trait ↗feature ↗characteristic ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • attribute something to something
  • be attributed to

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Attribute comes from a Latin verb meaning 'give' or 'assign to'. English first used it for linking something to a cause, person, or source. From that same idea of assigning something, the noun developed for a quality that is seen as belonging to a person or thing.