feature
Americannoun
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a prominent or conspicuous part or characteristic.
Tall buildings were a new feature on the skyline.
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something offered as a special attraction.
This model has several added features.
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Also called feature film. the main motion picture in a movie program.
What time is the feature?
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any part of the face, as the nose, chin, or eyes.
prominent features.
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features, the face; countenance.
to compose one's features for the photographers.
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the form or cast of the face.
delicate of feature.
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a column, cartoon, etc., appearing regularly in a newspaper or magazine.
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Archaic. make, form, or shape.
verb (used with object)
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to be a feature or distinctive mark of.
It was industrial expansion that featured the last century.
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to make a feature of; give prominence to.
to feature a story or picture in a newspaper.
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to delineate the main characteristics of; depict; outline.
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Informal. to conceive of; imagine; fancy.
He couldn't quite feature himself as a bank president.
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Older Use. to resemble in features; favor.
verb (used without object)
noun
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any one of the parts of the face, such as the nose, chin, or mouth
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a prominent or distinctive part or aspect, as of a landscape, building, book, etc
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the principal film in a programme at a cinema
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an item or article appearing regularly in a newspaper, magazine, etc
a gardening feature
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Also called: feature story. a prominent story in a newspaper, etc
a feature on prison reform
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a programme given special prominence on radio or television as indicated by attendant publicity
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an article offered for sale as a special attraction, as in a large retail establishment
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archaic general form or make-up
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linguistics a quality of a linguistic unit at some level of description
grammatical feature
semantic feature
verb
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(tr) to have as a feature or make a feature of
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to give prominence to (an actor, famous event, etc) in a film or (of an actor, etc) to have prominence in a film
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informal (tr) to imagine; consider
I can't feature that happening
Usage
What is a basic definition of feature? A feature is a distinctive trait or a special attraction. Feature can also mean to give special attention to something. The word feature has several other senses as a noun and a verb. A feature is a unique quality or characteristic that something has.
- Real-life examples: Elaborately colored tail feathers are peacocks’ most well-known feature. Earth has many features, such as a particular atmosphere, abundance of water, and temperature that make it able to sustain life. Platypuses have many features that are unusual in mammals, such as a bill and the ability to lay eggs.
- Used in a sentence: My house is really boring and doesn’t have any cool features that set it apart from every other house in the neighborhood.
- Real-life examples: Smartphones often have many features, such as Bluetooth technology, a camera, and many other additions that entice customers to buy it. People who buy cars are often interested in extra features, such as rear-view cameras, automated steering, and heated seats.
- Used in a sentence: I always go for cameras with lots of neat features, like custom white balancing.
- Real-life examples: Movie advertising often features a big star on posters and in commercials even if the person is barely in the movie. The main event fight is usually featured by boxing or mixed martial arts promoters because it will attract the most ticket buyers.
- Used in a sentence: I really like this song because it features the drummer the most.
Synonym Usage
Feature, characteristic, peculiarity refer to a distinctive trait of an individual or of a class. Feature suggests an outstanding or marked property that attracts attention: Complete harmony was a feature of the convention. Characteristic means a distinguishing mark or quality (or one of such) always associated in one's mind with a particular person or thing: Defiance is one of his characteristics. Peculiarity means that distinct or unusual characteristic that marks off an individual in the class to which he, she, or it belongs: A blue-black tongue is a peculiarity of the chow chow.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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featuresimple
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featuressimple
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have featuredperfect
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has featuredperfect
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am featuringprogressive
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are featuringprogressive
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is featuringprogressive
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have been featuringperfect progressive
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has been featuringperfect progressive
Past
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featuredsimple
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had featuredperfect
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was featuringprogressive
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were featuringprogressive
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had been featuringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of feature
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English feture, from Anglo-French, Middle French faiture, from Latin factūra “formation, manufacture.” See fact, -ure
Explanation
A feature is a part of something that makes it special or able to work better, such as a bonus feature on a DVD or a smartphone feature that provides faster Internet connections. The word feature has both a noun and a verb form used to describe a main characteristic, as in a car's safety features or a restaurant menu that features Italian dishes. In addition, feature can refer to a newspaper or magazine article that provides in-depth information, like a feature about the First Lady and her life. You’ve probably also heard it used to describe a main part of the face, such as the eyes, nose, or mouth.
Vocabulary lists containing feature
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade 11)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Friday's contest will not be broadcast live and will instead feature as part of the third series of the Netflix documentary 'At Home with the Furys'.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Email [email protected] and we might feature you in an upcoming story.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
In Tijuana, where Dodgers icon Justin Turner is playing this season, airhorns buzz constantly, and games feature skits between innings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
While there is no “normal” band of salary ranges, some companies post ranges that are not just tens of thousands of dollars wide, but sometimes feature a 100% difference.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
“We could make you the main feature of the show, Miss Wong.”
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
The abundance of takeaway meals has become one of the movement's more unusual features.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Hardwood floors run throughout the property, including in the bedrooms, save for the entryway which features a terracotta tile and a wrought iron staircase leading up to the second level.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
The Express features a full page photograph of Andrew and Lissie Harper, paired with the headline: "My Andrew and every victim deserves better".
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Fold8 features a wider, passport-like shape that matches analyst reports of Apple’s anticipated folding iPhone.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
A hint of unease passed over his features.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
He also appeared regularly as an analyst on the 2019 spinoff Live PD: Wanted, and was a featured character in the fifth season of another A&E reality TV show called 60 Days In.
From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026
The communique featured previously unused language targeting "freedom of navigation in and overflight above straits" while separately calling for "unimpeded" passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Manson is featured in several interviews, including his bizarre 1981 jailhouse conversation with NBC’s Tom Snyder.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Since the majority of families featured in the book are Christian, these case studies also help address the extent to which religious reasons factor into the choice to homeschool.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Most featured her and a crew of girls and boys, arms around each other, in front of places like the Tower of London or Madame Tussauds.
From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart
The hapless sunfish can weigh up to 2,000 kilograms and is distinct for both its size and peculiar shape featuring a flattened body and fins.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
The debut exhibit, featuring kinetic artwork, is titled, “A Pregnant Pause.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
The stamps come in two sets, the first featuring four images of Whittle and his engines, while the second shows eight iconic British jet aircraft.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
The curtain will come down on Glasgow 2026 at the Hydro after a ceremony featuring Delta Goodrem and rock legends Simple Minds.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Nightmares, not just featuring the crows but the feelings I had in the simulation—terror and helplessness, which I suspect is what I am really afraid of.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
