Property

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈpɹɒp.ə.ti/

Definitions

1. A characteristic or attribute that describes something ; something that a person or entity owns or can own
2. A feature or trait that belongs to an object or concept ; an item or real estate owned by someone
3. An inherent or distinguishing quality of an object or person ; an asset or possession owned by an individual or group

Etymology: "Property" and "propriety" are twins: both descend from the same Latin noun, "proprietas," which meant "one's peculiar nature or quality." The two words split in English. "Propriety" stayed with the sense of fitness and correct behaviour, while "property" took the sense of a thing that belongs to someone, and also the sense of a quality a thing possesses. The modern "essential trait" meaning is the older quality sense surfacing again. The route into English ran through Anglo-Norman and Old French, where "propreté" and "proprieté" covered propriety, fitness and property alike. Middle English borrowed the word in several spellings, including "propertee," "properte," "propirte" and "proprete," before the spelling settled. The Latin adjective behind it, "proprius," meant "special" or "one's own," so the whole family carries the idea of something belonging particularly to a thing or a person.

Synonyms: asset, possession, real estate

Antonyms: debt