attribute

A quality or feature that someone or something has.

• Patience is a useful attribute.
• The job requires several important attributes.
• What is the building’s most striking attribute?

How to use it: an attribute of someone/something (Honesty is an important attribute of a leader.)

Similar words: quality, feature, characteristic, trait

Common phrases: personal attribute, essential attribute, attribute of something

A property or setting attached to an object in a computer system.

• This attribute controls the text colour.
• The program changed the file’s attributes.
• Each element has an attribute that stores its name.

Similar words: property

Common phrases: file attribute, attribute value, set an attribute

An object shown with a person or figure in art to identify them or their role.

• The trident is an attribute of the sea god.
• The saint’s attribute appears beside her in the painting.
• These attributes help viewers identify the figures.

How to use it: an attribute of someone (The key is a traditional attribute of this saint.)

Similar words: symbol, emblem

Common phrases: traditional attribute, attribute of someone, symbolic attribute

To say that something happened because of a particular person or thing.

• They attribute the delay to bad weather.
• She attributed her success to hard work.
• Can we attribute this change to better training?

How to use it: attribute something to someone/something (Doctors attribute his tiredness to a lack of sleep.)

Similar words: ascribe, put down

Common phrases: attribute something to someone, attribute success to something

To say that a particular person made, wrote, or owns something.

• Experts attribute the painting to a local artist.
• The poem was attributed to her brother.
• Who first attributed this letter to the king?

How to use it: attribute something to someone (The museum attributes this drawing to a student of the artist.)

Similar words: ascribe, credit

Common phrases: attribute something to someone, attribute a painting