Trivia Time

Which of these is a feature of a smartphone?

Test Your Knowledge

feature

American  

[fee-cher] / ˈfi tʃər /

noun

• features
  plural

1. a prominent or conspicuous part or characteristic.

   Tall buildings were a new feature on the skyline.

2. something offered as a special attraction.

   This model has several added features.

3. Also called feature film. the main motion picture in a movie program.

   What time is the feature?

4. any part of the face, as the nose, chin, or eyes.

   prominent features.

5. features, the face; countenance.

   to compose one's features for the photographers.

6. the form or cast of the face.

   delicate of feature.

7. a column, cartoon, etc., appearing regularly in a newspaper or magazine.

8. feature story.

9. Archaic. make, form, or shape.

---

verb (used with object)

• features,
  present (3rd person singular)
• featured,
  past participle,  past
• featuring
  present participle

1. to be a feature or distinctive mark of.

   It was industrial expansion that featured the last century.

2. to make a feature of; give prominence to.

   to feature a story or picture in a newspaper.

3. to delineate the main characteristics of; depict; outline.

4. Informal. to conceive of; imagine; fancy.

   He couldn't quite feature himself as a bank president.

5. Older Use. to resemble in features; favor.

verb (used without object)

• features,
  present (3rd person singular)
• featured,
  past participle,  past
• featuring
  present participle

1. to play a major part.

feature British  

/ ˈfiːtʃə /

noun

1. any one of the parts of the face, such as the nose, chin, or mouth

2. a prominent or distinctive part or aspect, as of a landscape, building, book, etc

3. the principal film in a programme at a cinema

4. an item or article appearing regularly in a newspaper, magazine, etc

   a gardening feature

5. Also called: feature story. a prominent story in a newspaper, etc

   a feature on prison reform

6. a programme given special prominence on radio or television as indicated by attendant publicity

7. an article offered for sale as a special attraction, as in a large retail establishment

8. archaic general form or make-up

9. linguistics a quality of a linguistic unit at some level of description

   grammatical feature

   semantic feature

---

verb

1. (tr) to have as a feature or make a feature of

2. to give prominence to (an actor, famous event, etc) in a film or (of an actor, etc) to have prominence in a film

3. 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. 

Feature can also mean a special attraction or enticing quality that something has. Not all features are necessarily useful and, especially in advertising, they are often added to amaze rather than perform a useful function.

• 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.

As a verb, feature means to draw special attention to something or to shine the spotlight on it. If something is featured, it is mentioned first, given the most time, advertised most heavily, or invested the most effort into.

• 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

• underfeature
  noun
• transfeature
  verb (used with object)

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• features
  plural

Participles

• featuring
  present
• featured
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• feature
  simple
• features
  simple
• have featured
  perfect
• has featured
  perfect
• am featuring
  progressive
• are featuring
  progressive
• is featuring
  progressive
• have been featuring
  perfect progressive
• has been featuring
  perfect progressive

Past

• featured
  simple
• had featured
  perfect
• was featuring
  progressive
• were featuring
  progressive
• had been featuring
  perfect progressive

Future

• will feature
  simple
• will have featured
  perfect
• will be featuring
  progressive
• will have been featuring
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

feature features featured featuring

Some will feature hidden messages within ancient carvings, while others will emphasize photo opportunities with Paul Atreides’ throne, allowing guests to attempt their best Timothée Chalamet impression.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

Architect Peter Morris spent about a decade developing the homes, which feature sweeping arches and duck-egg blue metalwork.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

That idea clashes with the classical expectation that each particle should possess its own separate physical reality, a feature of quantum mechanics that famously troubled Albert Einstein.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 29, 2026

And its airport clubs feature amenities such as pancake printers and make-your-own pho.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

The third cardinal feature of gene regulation, Monod and Jacob discovered, was that every gene had specific regulatory DNA sequences appended to it that acted like recognition tags.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

The week-long event is marking its 17th year and features classes, workshops, talks, tours and social activities.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

The new auto-enrollment features may nudge more businesses to explain the accounts to staff, said Elbert, even if management isn’t planning its own contributions.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026

The model reproduces important features of human brain tissue, including its network of blood vessels.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026

American Express is rolling out an expense-management platform with AI features alongside its new corporate card, as the company’s corporate business faces mounting competition from fintechs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

I got this devilish feeling and I picked up a pencil and started filling in Sookie’s features.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

However, the property’s illustrious history is featured prominently in the description, which described the home as an “iconic compound.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026

The final That's Life! was broadcast on 19 June 1994 and featured a look back at both the highlights of the programme and Rantzen's own campaigning.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

Puerto Rican rapper Eladio Carrión, whose trap flow famously featured in songs like “Coco Chanel” with Bad Bunny and “Sigue Bailandome,” was also honored with the Inspira Award.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

One of the ads, a version of which was posted on the White House YouTube channel, featured dozens of images of the president at White House events.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

That day, boiled cabbage had featured prominently on the menu, and not even the jam roll that had come after it did anything to dispel the heavy atmosphere.

From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman

Besides the 2023 Warner Bros. blockbuster “Barbie,” Mattel has produced movies and television shows based on several of its best-known brands, including “Masters of the Universe,” the fantasy franchise featuring He-Man and Skeletor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

The new parents shared their happy life update in a joint Instagram post Monday featuring the public social media debut of their new bundle of joy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026

Thai artist LISA, a member of girl group Blackpink, won the award for best pop for "Dream," featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi.

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

It found global fame after featuring in a scene of the 1991 film Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, starring Kevin Costner, and was popular with photographers and artists.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

Radios were innocuous, being still in the catwhisker and headphone stage, and featuring such stimulating programs as the Arlington Time Signals.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

Related Words

• aspect
• character
• component
• detail
• element
• factor
• ingredient
• item
• quality
• trait