Attribute Meaning
Attribute Definition & Usage
A quality or feature regarded as characteristic or inherent in someone or something.
Examples
- "Honesty is a rare attribute in politics these days."
- "She possesses the attributes of a great leader: charisma and intelligence."
- "One of the most important attributes of a good teacher is patience."
- "The shiny exterior is just an attribute of the car; its real value lies under the hood."
- "Courage was the attribute that led him to risk everything for the cause."
To regard something as being caused by or associated with a particular source, cause, or person.
Examples
- "The success of the project was largely attributed to the team’s hard work."
- "The rise in crime has been attributed to a lack of education in the area."
- "Many people attribute his sudden wealth to his innovative business strategies."
- "The downfall of the company can be attributed to poor management decisions."
- "He attributed his failure to bad luck, but others thought it was poor planning."
Cultural Context
The word 'attribute' originates from the Latin word 'attributus', meaning 'to assign'. It has been used in English since the 14th century in various contexts, ranging from the philosophical, to the artistic, to the everyday.
The Value of Attributes
Story
The Value of Attributes
In a quiet office filled with the hum of computers, Sarah sat at her desk, glancing over her report. The team had been working tirelessly for weeks, and now, it was time to present their findings to the board. She looked at the list of attributes they had identified in their market research: reliability, accessibility, user-friendly design, and customer satisfaction. These were the pillars of their product’s success, but Sarah knew that what really made them stand out was their genuine commitment to quality. She smiled, remembering the initial brainstorming session where her colleague Tom had first attributed their approach to 'keeping the customer at the heart of everything'. She'd been skeptical at first, but as time passed, she saw how these attributes—those intangible qualities—really set their company apart. Tom's calm demeanor and strategic thinking were attributes she’d long admired, but it was his leadership that had turned their collective vision into reality. As she stood before the board, Sarah attributed the product’s success to not just the features, but to the trust they had built with customers over time. The board members nodded, impressed not just by the product's attributes, but by the team's ability to turn ideas into tangible results. It was a reminder that sometimes, the most important attribute isn't something you can see, but something you can feel—a sense of integrity that binds it all together.
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