Anti-feature

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Intentionally-implemented functionality of a product or service (typically technology) which hinders or disadvantages the user, and whose removal may incur an additional charge.

    "The printer's anti-features made it hardly worth using: the small $40 ink cartridges get blacklisted after first use to prevent refilling."

  2. 2
    Functionality originally intended as a feature, but perceived as a bug, annoyance, or infringement of freedoms by some or even most users.

    "Apple's iBooks 1.1 has an important anti-feature. Full justification has been applied to all books by default on the iPad (but not the iPhone) and cannot be overridden by the book designer."

Example

More examples

"The printer's anti-features made it hardly worth using: the small $40 ink cartridges get blacklisted after first use to prevent refilling."

Etymology

From anti- + feature.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.