attributes
HighFormal to neutral
Definition
Meaning
Distinctive qualities or characteristics that belong to, describe, or are inherent in a person, thing, or group.
In computing and data management: named data elements that describe the properties of a database object. In philosophy and logic: qualities or properties considered as essential to the nature of something.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word is plural, often used in academic and technical contexts to enumerate qualities. It can refer to both tangible and intangible characteristics, positive or negative.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Pronunciation of 't' sounds and secondary stress differ slightly; spelling is identical.
Connotations
No significant difference in connotations.
Frequency
Equally frequent in both varieties, with similar usage distributions across registers.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The + attributes + of + [entity]To have + attributesTo possess + attributesTo list + attributesVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The successful candidate's key attributes were resilience and strategic thinking.
Academic
The study identified several socioeconomic attributes that correlated with academic achievement.
Everyday
Kindness and a good sense of humour are his best attributes.
Technical
The XML tag contains several data attributes, including 'id' and 'type'.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- She attributes her success to hard work.
- The museum attributes the painting to a little-known Dutch artist.
American English
- He attributes his high grades to consistent studying.
- The report attributes the decline in sales to the new competitor.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Cats have different attributes, like soft fur and sharp claws.
- Her best attributes are her friendly smile and helpful nature.
- One of his most positive attributes is his ability to listen carefully.
- The job advertisement listed the required attributes for the position.
- The report analysed the demographic attributes of the survey respondents.
- Leadership and adaptability are considered crucial attributes in today's workforce.
- Philosophers have long debated the essential attributes of personhood.
- The study distinguished between ascribed attributes, such as age, and achieved attributes, like educational qualifications.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'A tribute' to someone's qualities. The positive things we 'attribute' to a person are their attributes.
Conceptual Metaphor
QUALITIES ARE PARTS OF A WHOLE (e.g., 'a person's attributes make up their character').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid directly translating as 'атрибуты' when referring to personal qualities; use 'качества' or 'свойства' instead.
- In computing, 'attributes' can be 'атрибуты', but for personal traits, this sounds like a borrowed term.
Common Mistakes
- Mispronunciation as /əˈtrɪbjuːts/ (wrong primary stress).
- Using 'attributions' (act of assigning) instead of 'attributes' (characteristics).
- Confusing countable vs. uncountable usage: 'He has many good attribute' (incorrect) vs. 'He has many good attributes' (correct).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'attributes' LEAST appropriate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Attributes are inherent or characteristic qualities (e.g., creativity, patience). Skills are learned abilities acquired through training or practice (e.g., coding, public speaking).
No, 'attributes' is the plural form. The singular is 'attribute' (pronounced /ˈætrɪbjuːt/).
Yes, it's a common and correct collocation used to describe qualities belonging to an individual.
In computing, an attribute is a specification that defines a property of an object, element, or file. For example, in HTML, an <img> tag has 'src' and 'alt' attributes.
Explore