Attributes are characteristics or qualities that help define a person, object, or concept. For example, the attributes of a car might include its color, size, fuel efficiency, and brand. These features help distinguish one car from another and provide important information about its performance and appearance. In the context of data, attributes refer to the specific properties of an object in a database. For instance, in a student database, attributes could include the student's name, age, grade, and major. These attributes allow for better organization and retrieval of information, making it easier to analyze and understand the data.