built-in
Americanadjective
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built so as to be an integral and permanent part of a larger construction.
The wall has a built-in bookcase.
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existing as a natural or characteristic part of something; inherent.
a built-in contempt for daydreaming.
noun
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a built-in piece of furniture or appliance.
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an additional feature or capability, as of a machine or a service.
a car with power steering, power brakes, and other built-ins.
adjective
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made or incorporated as an integral part
a built-in cupboard
a built-in escape clause
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essential; inherent
noun
Etymology
Origin of built-in
First recorded in 1895–1900
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.
Built in screen-time limits didn’t work; I’d just hit “ignore” over and over.
From Slate • Apr. 26, 2026
Built in the 1960s, Islamabad was planned as a green city, with wide avenues, parks and tree-lined sectors.
From Barron's • Feb. 8, 2026
Built in 1923, the Hollywood sign was donated to the city 21 years later.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2026
Built in 2008, it features parquet de Versailles flooring, 18th-century French Louis XV–carved stone fireplaces, and hand-carved marble bathtubs.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 5, 2026
Built in three sections, it had a square base and an octagonal midsection.
From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby
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.
