Home/USA Today Rootonym/An inherent characteristic or quality; a word ascribing a person, thing or office (noun)
An inherent characteristic or quality; a word ascribing a person, thing or office (noun)
Looking for the answer to the USA Today Rootonym clue “An inherent characteristic or quality; a word ascribing a person, thing or office (noun)”? The solution is ATTRIBUTE, a 9-letter word built on the root TRIBUT (“assign, allow, pay”). It appeared in the June 23, 2026 (Tuesday) USA Today Rootonym. See the full puzzle for that day's other words.
Answer
ATTRIBUTE
**TRIBUT*TRIBUTmeans “assign, allow, pay”
In a sentence
One ATTRIBUTE Cathy admires in Julia's personality is her constant thoughtfulness.
About this clue
The Rootonym clue “An inherent characteristic or quality; a word ascribing a person, thing or office (noun)” has the answer ATTRIBUTE (9 letters), built on the root TRIBUT, which means “assign, allow, pay”. Browse the full June 23, 2026 Rootonym puzzle for the other three words, or see all Rootonym answers.