Origin: Latin suffix -ive
Attractive has 4 different meanings across 1 category:
pleasing to the eye or mind especially through beauty or charm
"a remarkably attractive young man"
"an attractive personality"
"attractive clothes"
"a book with attractive illustrations"
having power to arouse interest
"an attractive opportunity"
"the job is attractive because of the pay"
Causing attraction; having the quality of attracting by inherent force.
"The magnet's strong pull made it easy to pick up the scattered paperclips from the table."
In plain English: Attractive means something looks good enough to make you want to have it or be near it.
"The new phone has an attractive design that many people love."
Usage: In everyday usage, attractive describes something that is pleasing to look at or appealing in general, rather than referring to a physical force pulling objects together. Use this word when complimenting appearance or interest, not when explaining scientific phenomena like gravity.
The word attractive comes from the Middle French term attractif, which was borrowed from Late Latin attractīvus. It originally described something that draws things toward itself and entered English with this same meaning of having a power to attract or charm.