▁property ▁is ▁a ▁property ▁that ▁an ▁object ▁or ▁a ▁thing ▁has ▁of ▁itself , ▁independently ▁of ▁other ▁things , ▁including ▁its ▁context . ▁An ▁extr insic ▁( or ▁rel ational ) ▁property ▁is ▁a ▁property ▁that ▁depends ▁on ▁a ▁thing ' s ▁relationship ▁with ▁other ▁things . ▁For ▁example , ▁mass ▁is ▁an ▁intr insic ▁property ▁of ▁any ▁physical ▁object , ▁whereas ▁weight ▁is ▁an ▁extr insic ▁property ▁that ▁var ies ▁depending ▁on ▁the ▁strength ▁of ▁the ▁gravit ational ▁field ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁respective ▁object ▁is ▁placed . ▁As ▁such , ▁the ▁question ▁of ▁intr ins ical ity ▁and ▁extr ins ical ity ▁in ▁empir ically ▁observable ▁objects ▁is ▁a ▁significant ▁field ▁of ▁study ▁in ▁ont ology , ▁the ▁branch ▁of ▁philosophy ▁concerned ▁with ▁explaining ▁the ▁fundamental ▁nature ▁of ▁being . ▁ ▁C riteria ▁David ▁Lewis ▁offered ▁a ▁list ▁of ▁criteria ▁that ▁should ▁con den se ▁the ▁distinction ▁between ▁intr insic ▁and ▁extr insic ▁properties ▁( numbers ▁and ▁ital ics ▁added ): ▁▁ ▁A ▁sentence ▁or ▁statement ▁or ▁proposition ▁that ▁as cri bes ▁intr insic ▁properties ▁to ▁something ▁is ▁entirely ▁about ▁that ▁thing ; ▁whereas ▁an ▁as cription ▁of ▁extr insic ▁properties ▁to ▁something ▁is ▁not ▁entirely ▁about ▁that ▁thing , ▁though ▁it ▁may ▁well ▁be ▁about ▁some ▁larger ▁whole ▁which ▁includes ▁that ▁thing ▁as ▁part . ▁▁ ▁A ▁thing ▁has ▁its ▁intr insic ▁properties ▁in ▁virtue ▁of ▁the ▁way ▁that ▁thing ▁itself , ▁and ▁nothing ▁else , ▁is . ▁Not ▁so ▁for ▁extr insic ▁properties , ▁though ▁a ▁thing ▁may ▁well ▁have