trait
n. countablen. a particular quality that makes a person or thing different from others. You often use this to talk about someone's personality or physical features.
n. a distinguishing quality or characteristic, typically one belonging to a person. Often used in biological contexts to refer to genetically determined characteristics.
Patience is a very important trait for a teacher.
Researchers are trying to identify which genetic trait makes certain plants more resistant to cold weather.
While some personality traits appear to be deeply rooted in our biology, others are clearly shaped by the social environments we inhabit during our formative years.
Borrowed from Middle French trait (“line, feature”), from Latin tractus (“drawing, pulling”), from Latin trahō. Doublet of tract.
Commonly paired with adjectives like 'personality', 'character', 'genetic', or 'inherited'.