Meaning & use
feature
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Meanings
nouncountable
A noticeable part or quality of something that helps to define it or sets it apart.
Grammar: Has a plural: one feature, many features.
Patterns
- a feature of something
- a key feature
The lake is the main feature of the park.
Voice control is a handy feature of the new phone.
A long, narrow nose was his most striking feature.
nounusually plural
A part of the face, such as the eyes, nose or mouth.
Grammar: Usually used in the plural, features, for the whole face: sharp features.
Patterns
- facial features
Her delicate features reminded me of her mother.
He had strong features and a firm jaw.
The portrait captured every feature of the sitter's face.
nouncountable
A special newspaper, magazine or broadcast story that gives detailed coverage of a subject, rather than brief news.
Grammar: Often followed by on: a feature on climate change.
Patterns
- a feature on something
- a feature about something
The magazine ran a long feature on urban gardening.
She wrote a feature about the town's last bookshop.
The radio feature explored life on a fishing boat.
nouncountable
A full-length film shown at a cinema, as opposed to a short film.
Grammar: Often appears in the compound feature film.
Patterns
- a feature film
The director's first feature won an award at the festival.
The cinema screened a double feature last night.
She dreams of making a feature before she turns thirty.
verbtransitive or intransitive
To include or present someone or something as an important element, or to appear as an important element.
Grammar: As a transitive verb the subject presents the item: the show features a chef. As an intransitive verb the item appears: he features in the film.
Patterns
- feature something
- feature in something
The exhibition features paintings from a dozen countries.
The band features a young cellist.
His name does not feature in any of the records.
Word forms
| plural | features |
|---|---|
| third person singular | features |
| past tense | featured |
| past participle | featured |
| -ing form | featuring |
Common combinations
- key feature
- A large screen is a key feature of this laptop.
- safety feature
- The car has several safety features, including side airbags.
- distinctive feature
- A red door is the distinctive feature of the house.
- feature film
- The studio is releasing a new feature film in May.
- prominently featured
- The mayor was prominently featured in the local newspaper.
Synonyms and how they differ
- characteristic
- Characteristic suggests a quality that typically belongs to something, while feature may be any notable part, including added extras.
- attribute
- Attribute is more formal and usually refers to a quality rather than a physical part.
- aspect
- Aspect is one angle of a complex idea, whereas feature is something you can point to.
- highlight
- Highlight means the best part of something, while feature just means a notable part.
Word family
- featured adjective
- given special attention
- featureless adjective
- plain, with no notable characteristics
- featuring preposition
- including as a main performer
Commonly confused: feature or fixture?
feature vs fixture
A fixture is something permanently attached in a building, such as a light, while a feature is any notable part.
Practice
The new phone has a useful ____ that locks the screen when it detects a thief.
Choose one answer.
A feature is a notable function or part of a product. A fixture is something fixed in a building, so it does not suit a phone setting.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “feature”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.