Meaning & use

attributes

noun·Everyday

Last updated

Qualities or features regarded as a characteristic or inherent part of someone or something.

See it in a sentence

Patience and empathy are valuable attributes for a teacher.

The software lets you sort files by attributes such as size and date.

A note on using this word

Attributes are usually treated as inherent or defining qualities, distinct from temporary states; the word is common in both everyday descriptions and technical fields like computing.

Words with a similar meaning

qualitiescharacteristicstraits

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. noun

A property or characteristic assigned to a piece of data, object, or file in computing.

Each HTML tag can have several attributes, such as class and id.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “attributes”, then compare your use with the examples above.

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