1. a qualitative characteristic (variable) of an individual or group 2. GIS a numeric, text, or image data field in a relational database table that describes a spatial feature such as a point, line, node, area, or cell 3. GIS a characteristic of a geographic feature described by numbers or characters, typically stored in tabular format and linked to the feature by an identifier, e.g., attributes of a well (represented by a point) might include depth, pump type, location, and gallons per minute 4. a column in a database This definition last updated 10/23/2008