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.
The new devices can run Google apps like Gmail, Docs and YouTube – a feature absent from Amazon’s prior tablets – in addition to built-in Amazon apps like Prime Video and Kindle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
OpenAI announced ChatGPT for Teens in August, promising “stronger built-in safety protections” for users under 18, including limits on discussions around suicide, eating disorders, violence and sexual content.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
The unit features hardwood floors and built-in bookshelves and storage.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
They are considered a promising tool for quantum error correction because they can provide built-in protection against certain types of errors.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
Most of the classrooms had hundred-year-old built-in cupboards and drawers and bookshelves, and it was awkward explaining why they had to look into those to measure the room.
From "Chasing Vermeer" by Blue Balliett
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.
