attractive

adjective

at·​trac·​tive ə-ˈtrak-tiv How to pronounce attractive (audio)
1
a
: arousing interest or pleasure : charming
an attractive smile
b
: appealing
an attractive offer
2
: having or relating to the power to attract
attractive forces between molecules
attractively adverb
attractiveness noun

Examples of attractive in a Sentence

An attractive woman greeted us at the door. The camera has many attractive features at a very attractive price.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For starters, native plants are more attractive to pollinators, but they're also perfectly adapted to local growing conditions and will return year after year with minimal fuss. Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 June 2025 Showcasing this kind of innovation made the company more attractive to creative and tech-savvy talent. Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025 Wildflower, a seven-story structure with over 775,000 square feet, billed as the first vertical film studio, is itself highly attractive with multi-toned earth hues, modern, open and light. Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 6 June 2025 In Southern California, longan makes an attractive, heavily foliated tree reaching 15-25 feet in height and spread, yielding hundreds of fruit from summer into fall. Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 5 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for attractive

Word History

Etymology

Middle English attractif, attractive "drawing out foreign matter from the body, able to ingest nutriments," borrowed from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French attractif, attratif, borrowed from Late Latin attractīvus "capable of attracting, drawing toward itself," from Latin attractus, past participle of attrahere "to draw with force, compel to come" + -īvus -ive — more at attract

First Known Use

circa 1540, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of attractive was circa 1540

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Cite this Entry

“Attractive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attractive. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

attractive

adjective
at·​trac·​tive ə-ˈtrak-tiv How to pronounce attractive (audio)
: having the power or quality of attracting
especially : charming, pleasing
attractively adverb
attractiveness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on attractive

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