Crossword Genius

Characteristic skill rises with it (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

trait

'characteristic' is the definition.
(a trait is a quality or characteristic)

'skill rises with it' is the wordplay.
'skill' becomes 'art' (both can mean a talent).
'rises' is a reversal indicator.
'with' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'art' reversed gives 'tra'.
'tra'+'it'='TRAIT'

(Other definitions for trait that I've seen before include "Idiosyncrasy" , "Feature of personality" , "Distinguishing feature" , "Distinguishing characteristic of personality" , "A characteristic of straitened kind" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.
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