# trait

/ˈtɹeɪt/ (US) · /tɹˈeɪt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/trait
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. personality or character

noun · CEFR B2

a quality that is part of your personality.

For teachers: a distinguishing feature of a person's character or nature.

- Patience is a very important trait for a primary school teacher to have.
- The candidate's most impressive trait was her ability to remain composed under intense questioning from the board.

### 2. biological feature

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

a physical quality that is passed from parents to children through genes.

For teachers: a genetically determined characteristic or condition.

- Eye colour is a physical trait that you inherit from your parents.
- Researchers are investigating which specific genetic traits make certain plant species more resistant to drought.

Usage: Often used in the context of heredity and evolution.

### 3. computing

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a set of methods used in computer programming to give extra powers to a class.

For teachers: a collection of methods that provides functionality to a class, used as a tool for code reuse in object-oriented programming.

- The programmer used a trait to share the same code between two different objects.
- By implementing the trait, the developer ensured that multiple classes could share the same logging behaviour without complex inheritance.

Usage: Common in languages like Rust, Scala, and PHP.

Teaching tip: This is a highly specialized technical sense; general learners only need the character-based definition.

## Examples

- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.