attractableness
|a-trac-ta-ble-ness|
/əˌtræk.təˈbɪl.nəs/
capability of being attracted
Etymology
'attractableness' originates from Modern English, specifically formed from the adjective 'attractable' + the suffix '-ness', where 'attractable' is built from the verb 'attract' + the adjective-forming suffix '-able' and 'attract' ultimately comes from Latin 'attrahere' (from 'ad-' + 'trahere').
'attractableness' developed by compounding 'attract' (which passed into English via Old French and Middle English from Latin 'attrahere') to form 'attractable' and then adding the nominalizing suffix '-ness' in Modern English to yield 'attractableness'.
Initially the Latin root 'attrahere' meant 'to draw toward'; over time the root gave rise to English forms meaning 'to draw' and then adjectives meaning 'capable of being drawn' — the modern noun 'attractableness' denotes the quality of being capable of being attracted (and occasionally is used to mean general appeal).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the quality or state of being attractable; the capacity of being drawn toward something (capable of being attracted).
The attractableness of certain insects to porch lights led to nightly swarms.
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Noun 2
(rare/figurative) The quality of being appealing or attractive (used occasionally in place of 'attractiveness').
In some contexts, writers used attractableness to refer to a person's general appeal rather than literal susceptibility to being drawn.
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Last updated: 2025/11/16 14:42