What does "feature" mean?
One's structure or make-up: form, shape, bodily proportions.
Feature
/ˈfiː.t͡ʃə(ɹ)/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One's structure or make-up: form, shape, bodily proportions.
- Grammar: feature is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: characteristic, 3-d, act, adjunct.
- Useful contrasts: blemish, bug, bugs.
- Usage evidence: The show will be a great feature of tonight's program.
How to use "feature"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "feature" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "feature" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "feature" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "feature" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "feature" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "characteristic" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "feature", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One's structure or make-up: form, shape, bodily proportions. obsolete
"all the powres of nature, / Which she by art could vse vnto her will, / And to her seruice bind each liuing creature; / Through secret vnderstanding of their feature."
- 2 an article of merchandise that is displayed or advertised more than other articles wordnet
- 3 An important or main item.
- 4 the characteristic parts of a person's face: eyes and nose and mouth and chin wordnet
- 5 A long, prominent article or item in the media, or the department that creates them; frequently used technically to distinguish content from news.
"A feature interview with a noted personality or a discussion covering a specific issue is then presented."
Show 13 more definitions
- 6 a prominent attribute or aspect of something wordnet
- 7 A long, prominent article or item in the media, or the department that creates them; frequently used technically to distinguish content from news.; Ellipsis of feature film. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
- 8 (linguistics) a distinctive characteristic of a linguistic unit that serves to distinguish it from other units of the same kind wordnet
- 9 Any of the physical constituents of the face (eyes, nose, etc.).
- 10 a special or prominent article in a newspaper or magazine wordnet
- 11 A beneficial capability of a piece of software.
"The program contained an internal feature, which allowed a user to update display text after each command keystroke."
- 12 the principal (full-length) film in a program at a movie theater wordnet
- 13 The cast or structure of anything, or of any part of a thing, as of a landscape, a picture, a treaty, or an essay; any marked peculiarity or characteristic.
"one of the features of the landscape"
- 14 Something discerned from physical evidence that helps define, identify, characterize, and interpret an archeological site.
"A feature of many Central Texas prehistoric archeological sites is a low spreading pile of stones called a rock midden. Other features at these sites may include small hearths."
- 15 Characteristic forms or shapes of parts. For example, a hole, boss, slot, cut, chamfer, or fillet.
- 16 An individual measurable property or characteristic of a phenomenon being observed; the input of a model.
"MIT researchers are striving to improve the interpretability of features so decision makers will be more comfortable using the outputs of machine-learning models. Drawing on years of field work, they developed a taxonomy to help developers craft features that will be easier for their target audience to understand."
- 17 The act of being featured in a piece of music.
- 18 The elements into which linguistic units can be broken down.
Verb
- 1 To ascribe the greatest importance to something within a certain context. transitive
- 2 have as a feature wordnet
- 3 To star, to contain. transitive
"Whitfield wanted to put together a new act to feature his abilities."
- 4 wear or display in an ostentatious or proud manner wordnet
- 5 To appear, to make an appearance. intransitive
"Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love, Deep Purple's Smoke On The Water and Layla by Derek and the Dominos also featured in the top five."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 To have features resembling. dated, transitive
"More than his talents, Roger grudged him his looks, the brown eyes, golden hair, and oval face, which made people say how Johnny Weir featured his mother."
- 7 To think about, understand, or imagine. Pennsylvania, Western
Antonyms
Example
"The show will be a great feature of tonight's program."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "feature"?
Common synonyms include: characteristic, 3-d, act, adjunct, advertise, affection.
How do you use "feature" in a sentence?
The show will be a great feature of tonight's program.
How do you pronounce "feature"?
Pronounced /ˈfiː.t͡ʃə(ɹ)/.
Etymology
From Middle English feture, from Anglo-Norman feture, from Old French faiture, from Latin factūra, from Latin factus, from Latin faciō (“do, make”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to do, put, place, set”). Doublet of facture.