Not An Attribute

<?php

class MyNotAnAttributeClass {
    public function __construct(public string $value) {}
}

#[MyNotAnAttributeClass('test')]
class MyClass {}

You can use any class as an attribute, even if it is not explicitly marked with the #[Attribute] meta-attribute. While it is recommended to use #[Attribute] to make a class explicitly an attribute, it is not strictly required. PHP will still treat the class as an attribute if you use it as one, as long as you do not try to instantiate it via reflection. This means you can define a class without the #[Attribute] meta-attribute and still use it as an attribute in your code.

See Also

• Attribute Class
• No need to be an attribute [Try me]

PHP Features

• attribute
• reflection
• instance

Last updated: 22 October 2026