English Reference
noun

attraction

n.
US /əˈtɹækʃən/ UK /ɐtɹˈækʃən/ at·trac·tion UK spelling attraction's, attraction's

  1. 01 B1 Intermediate

    a place or event that many people want to visit because it is interesting or fun.

    a location, event, or facility that draws interest from tourists or residents.

    Simple

    The Eiffel Tower is the most famous tourist attraction in Paris.

    In context

    The city council invested heavily in the waterfront redevelopment, hoping to create a major cultural attraction that would revitalise the local economy.

  2. 02 B1 Intermediate

    a feeling that makes you like someone or want to be with them.

    a feeling of being drawn to another person, often involving romantic or sexual interest.

    Simple

    They felt a strong attraction to each other from the moment they met.

    In context

    While they shared many intellectual interests, the lack of physical attraction eventually led them to remain just friends.

    repulsiondislike
  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate Science

    a force that pulls things toward each other.

    the physical force by which one object or body draws another toward it.

    Simple

    The magnetic attraction was strong enough to pull the paperclip across the table.

    In context

    The experiment demonstrates the gravitational attraction between two massive spheres in a vacuum.

    repulsion
  4. 04 C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    a mistake where a word changes its form to match the wrong word in a sentence.

    a linguistic error where a word, such as a verb, incorrectly agrees with a nearby noun rather than its actual subject.

    Simple

    In the sentence 'The box of chocolates are open', the plural verb is a mistake caused by attraction.

    In context

    The researcher noted that attraction errors are more frequent when the intervening noun is semantically salient or plural.

    Usage

    Often occurs when a plural noun sits between a singular subject and the verb.

    agreement error

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *dʰregʰ-der.? Latin trahō Latin attrahō Proto-Indo-European *-tisder. Proto-Italic *-tjō Latin -tiō Latin attractiōder. Old French attractionbor. Middle English attraccioun English attraction From Middle English attraccioun, from Old French attraction, from Latin attractio from past participle of attrahō (= ad + trahō), equivalent to attract + -ion.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin attractio
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Common
Updated