overwordExplorer
ENGLISH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

traction.

The act of pulling something along a surface using motive power.

8 characters2 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

noun/ˈtɹæk.ʃən/Australia, General-American, Received-Pronunciation/ˈtɹak.ʃən/British, Southern, Standard/ˈtɾak.ʃən/Scotland, Wales/ˈtɹɛk.ʃən/New-Zealand

  1. The act of pulling something along a surface using motive power.

    uncountable · usually

  2. The condition of being so pulled.

    uncountable · usually

  3. Grip.

    uncountable · usually

  4. The pulling power of an engine or animal.

    uncountable · usually

  5. The adhesive friction of a wheel etc on a surface.

    uncountable · usually

  6. Progress in or momentum toward achieving a goal, especially in gaining support, recognition, or popularity.

    uncountable · usually
    I could not get any traction in trying to push through the legislation.

  7. Progress in or momentum toward achieving a goal, especially in gaining support, recognition, or popularity. The extent of adoption of a new product or service, typically measured in number of customers or level of revenue achieved.

    uncountable · usually

  8. Progress in or momentum toward achieving a goal, especially in gaining support, recognition, or popularity. Popular support.

    uncountable · usually

  9. Progress in or momentum toward achieving a goal, especially in gaining support, recognition, or popularity. Scholarly interest and research.

    uncountable · usually

  10. A mechanically applied sustained pull, especially to a limb.

    uncountable · usually

  11. Collectively, the locomotives of a railroad, especially electric locomotives.

    uncountable · usually

  12. A traction engine.

    obsolete · uncountable · usually
Where this word comes from

From Medieval Latin tractio, from Latin tractus, perfect passive participle of verb trahere (“pull”), + noun of action suffix -io (genitive -ionis).

verb/ˈtɹæk.ʃən/Australia, General-American, Received-Pronunciation/ˈtɹak.ʃən/British, Southern, Standard/ˈtɾak.ʃən/Scotland, Wales/ˈtɹɛk.ʃən/New-Zealand

  1. To apply a sustained pull to (a limb, etc.).

    transitive
Where this word comes from

From Medieval Latin tractio, from Latin tractus, perfect passive participle of verb trahere (“pull”), + noun of action suffix -io (genitive -ionis).

FROM WORD TO NAME

Try it on your idea.

traction has 8 characters. Say it out loud, try it alongside a description of your project, and see whether its meaning fits what you want to create.

traction studiotraction workshello, traction

These are naming prompts. Meanings and pronunciation can vary; existing brand and domain uses have not been checked.

Explore the name generator

A word with a source.

Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.