property

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a construct whereby objects or individuals can be distinguished

   self-confidence is not an endearing property

2. 2
   noun

   Something that is owned.

   Leave those books alone! They are my property.

3. 3
   noun

   A piece of real estate, such as a parcel of land.

   There is a large house on the property.

4. 4
   noun

   Real estate; the business of selling houses.

   He works in property as a housing consultant.

5. 5
   noun

   An attribute or abstract quality associated with an individual, object or concept.

   Charm is his most endearing property.

6. 6
   noun

   An attribute or abstract quality which is characteristic of a class of objects.

   Matter can have many properties, including color, mass and density.

7. 7
   noun

   An editable or read-only parameter associated with an application, component or class; especially (object-oriented programming) one that encapsulates an underlying variable.

   You need to set the debugging property to "verbose".

8. 8
   noun

   A prop, an object used in a dramatic production.

   Costumes and scenery are distinguished from property properly speaking.

Etymology

From Middle English propertee, properte, propirte, proprete, borrowed from Anglo-Norman and Old French propreté, proprieté (“propriety, fitness, property”), from Latin proprietās (“a peculiarity, one's peculiar nature or quality, right or fact of possession, property”), from proprius (“special, particular, one's own”). Equivalent to proper + -ty. Doublet of propriety.