trait

/tɹeɪt/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: traits

Sense 1

Meaning · English

An identifying characteristic, habit or trend.

Noun

Examples

inherited traits and acquired traits

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

An uninstantiable collection of methods that provides functionality to a class by using the class’s own interface.

Noun

Examples

Traits are somewhat between an interface and a mixin.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “trait” mean?

An identifying characteristic, habit or trend.

Is “trait” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.