Facet

//ˈfæs.ɪt// noun, verb

noun, verb ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Any one of the flat surfaces cut into a gem.

    "This facet of the diamond was masterfully cut to enhance its value."

  2. 2
    a distinct feature or element in a problem wordnet
  3. 3
    One among many similar or related, yet still distinct things. figuratively

    "The child's learning disability was only one facet of the problems contributing to his delinquency."

  4. 4
    a smooth surface (as of a bone or cut gemstone) wordnet
  5. 5
    One of a series of things, such as steps in a project.

    "We had just about completed the research facet of the project when the order came to cancel it."

Show 6 more definitions
  1. 6
    One member of a compound eye, as found in insects and crustaceans.
  2. 7
    A smooth circumscribed surface.

    "the articular facet of a bone"

  3. 8
    Any of the small joints at each segment of the spine that provide stability and help guide motion
  4. 9
    The narrow plane surface between flutings of a column; a fillet.
  5. 10
    A face of codimension 1 of a polytope.
  6. 11
    A criterion that can be used to sort and filter, such as the colour or size of products in an online store.
Verb
  1. 1
    To cut a facet into a gemstone.

Synonyms

All synonyms
aspectaspectangleanteriorityarticlebold front

Example

More examples

"A facet of genius is the ability to provoke scandals."

Etymology

Borrowed from French facette.

Related phrases

articular facetfacet namefacet syndromecompound eye

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