Meaning & use
feedback or feed back
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
Advice or comments about how well or badly someone has done something, given so they can improve.
Grammar: No plural and no 'a': say 'some feedback' or 'a piece of feedback', not 'a feedback'.
Patterns
- feedback on something
- give someone feedback
- get feedback from someone
The teacher gave me useful feedback on my essay.
We asked customers for feedback about the new app.
Her manager's feedback helped her improve her presentation skills.
noununcountabletechnical
A continuous noise or signal caused when a device's output returns to its own input.
Grammar: Used mainly in technical talk about sound and electronics; still uncountable.
Patterns
- cause feedback
- a feedback loop
The microphone made a loud screech of feedback.
Move the speaker away from the mic to stop the feedback.
verbtransitive or intransitive
To send information or results back to the person or system that needs them.
Grammar: Written as two words; takes an object when you name what is sent: feed the results back to the team.
Patterns
- feed something back to someone
- feed back to someone
- feed back on something
Please feed your comments back to me by Friday.
The sensors feed data back to the central computer.
Managers fed the survey results back to their teams.
Word forms
| third person singular | feeds back |
|---|---|
| past tense | fed back |
| past participle | fed back |
| -ing form | feeding back |
Common combinations
- give feedback
- Good coaches give feedback right after the practice.
- positive feedback
- The startup got a lot of positive feedback on its first product.
- feedback loop
- A feedback loop can make a small problem grow quickly.
- feed information back
- The team feeds information back to headquarters every week.
Synonyms and how they differ
- response
- Response is wider and can be any reply; feedback specifically aims to help someone judge or improve performance.
- comment
- A comment is a single remark; feedback is usually a group of remarks meant as evaluation.
- input
- Input means ideas or effort contributed; feedback focuses on judging results that already exist.
Word family
- feed verb
- To give food to a person or animal, or to supply something continuously.
- feedback loop noun
- A system where results affect the process that produced them.
Commonly confused: feedback or feed back or feed back?
feedback or feed back vs feed back
This is the verb form written as two words; the noun is always one word, feedback.
Practice
The manager asked the team for ______ on the new schedule.
Choose one answer.
'Feedback' as a noun is uncountable, so it takes no article and no plural: 'for feedback'. 'A feedback' and 'feedbacks' break that rule, and 'feed back' is the verb, which cannot follow 'for' here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “feedback or feed back”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.