Meaning & use
aspects
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“aspects” is a form of “aspect”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
The separate parts, features or sides of a situation, idea or subject that can be considered individually.
Grammar: Plural of aspect, usually followed by of: aspects of the job.
Patterns
- aspects of something
- all aspects of something
- an aspect of something
The course covers all aspects of running a small business.
Money is only one of the aspects of this decision.
She enjoys most aspects of her job, except the long commute.
nounpluralformal
The ways something looks or appears to people, especially its general character or expression.
Grammar: Fairly literary; usually found in descriptions: the aspects of the mountain.
Patterns
- take on an aspect
- the aspects of something
The old house took on a gloomy aspect at dusk.
Her face had a calm aspect even in the middle of the crisis.
The valley shows different aspects in each season.
nounpluraltechnical
In grammar, forms of a verb that show whether an action is ongoing, finished or repeated, such as simple, progressive and perfect.
Grammar: A technical term, used in language study: aspects of the English verb.
Patterns
- aspects of the verb
Linguists study aspects such as progressive and perfect in English.
Some languages mark aspects with endings rather than extra words.
Learners often confuse tense and the grammatical aspects of a verb.
Word forms
| singular | aspect |
|---|
Common combinations
- all aspects of
- The manager is responsible for all aspects of the project.
- positive aspects
- There were several positive aspects to the new schedule.
- key aspects
- Safety is one of the key aspects of the design.
- different aspects
- The book looks at different aspects of family life.
- negative aspects
- Noise is one of the negative aspects of living downtown.
- cultural aspects
- Students explored the cultural aspects of the festival.
Synonyms and how they differ
- features
- Features usually names noticeable qualities of a thing, whereas aspects are the angles from which you can consider it.
- facets
- Facets is more literary and suggests sides of something complex, like the sides of a cut gem.
- elements
- Elements are parts that something is made of, while aspects are ways of looking at it.
- dimensions
- Dimensions suggests important sides or sizes of an issue, and often sounds more serious than aspects.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: aspects or respects?
aspects vs respects
In many respects means in many ways, while many aspects means many parts or sides, and the two are not always interchangeable.
Practice
The training program covers every ___ of customer service, from greeting to complaints.
Choose one answer.
After every, a singular noun is needed, so aspect. Aspects would suit all, not every, which is the tempting wrong choice.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “aspects”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.