feature

feature — noun

1. something that stands out as typical, important, or special about a product, pla

1.nounB1
Definition

something that stands out as typical, important, or special about a product, place, system, or idea — for example, a phone's fast charging, a city's busy night market, or a plan's low cost.

Example

The new apartment's best feature is the large kitchen with extra counter space.

best / main / key + feature

Anjali said that the safety system was the most useful feature of the car.

feature + of + noun (belonging)

Common collocations
  • key feature
  • main feature
  • distinctive feature
  • notable feature
  • special feature
  • striking feature
Synonyms
  • characteristic

    more neutral and objective; used for both people and things.

  • attribute

    more formal; often used for abstract qualities.

  • trait

    typically used for personal qualities, less often for products.

Grammar Patterns

feature + of + noun phrase

a / the [adjective] feature

feature is that + clause

Usage Note

Often modified by adjectives that signal importance or distinctiveness: 'key', 'main', 'distinctive', 'notable', 'striking'. The preposition 'of' connects the feature to the thing it belongs to ('a feature of the software').

Common Mistakes

The phone has many features, for example fast charging and water resistant.
The phone has many features, such as fast charging and water resistance.
use noun forms (water resistance), not adjectives (water resistant), after 'such as'.

2. a noticeable design element built into a house, a room, or an outdoor area — for

2.nounB1
Definition

a noticeable design element built into a house, a room, or an outdoor area — for instance, a stone fireplace in a living room, a wooden balcony on a house, or a pond in a public garden.

Example

The old house still has its original feature of a cast-iron fireplace in every bedroom.

feature + of + a building part

Gabriela asked the builder to add a water feature to the back garden.

compound: water feature

Common collocations
  • water feature
  • safety feature
  • architectural feature
  • original feature
  • design feature
  • natural feature
Synonyms
  • element

    more general; can describe any component, not just physical.

  • fixture

    stresses something fixed in place, like a bathtub or light fitting.

Grammar Patterns

architectural / natural / design + feature

feature + of + a building / room / landscape

Usage Note

Frequently combines with nouns to form compounds: 'water feature' (a decorative pond or fountain), 'safety feature' (a design element that prevents accidents), 'original feature' (something kept from when the building was first built).

Common Mistakes

The park has a water feature like a small waterfall.
The park has a water feature, such as a small waterfall.
write 'such as', not 'like', in formal descriptive writing.

3. any visible area on a person's face that shapes how they appear, including the e

3.nounA2
Definition

any visible area on a person's face that shapes how they appear, including the eyes, nose, mouth, cheekbones, or jaw.

Example

Élise has very delicate facial features, especially her high cheekbones and small nose.

facial features (compound, common set phrase)

The artist spent hours drawing each feature of the model's face with great care.

each feature of the face (distributive use)

Common collocations
  • facial features
  • delicate features
  • strong features
  • fine features
  • sharp features
  • soft features
Synonyms
  • facial feature

    the full compound is more formal and clinical.

  • lineament

    very formal, literary; rarely used in daily speech.

Grammar Patterns

facial features

delicate / strong / sharp + features

feature + of + the face

Usage Note

Almost always appears in plural when referring to a person's overall face ('her features'), though singular is used when naming one specific part ('his most striking feature is his nose'). 'Facial features' is a common set phrase in medical and descriptive contexts.

Common Mistakes

She has beautiful feature.
She has beautiful features.
use the plural when talking about the overall appearance of someone's face.

4. a thorough report or programme that explores a single person or topic in depth f

4.nounB2
Definition

a thorough report or programme that explores a single person or topic in depth for a print publication, television channel, or radio station — typically longer and more detailed than a standard news item.

Example

The Sunday paper ran a three-page feature on the rise of electric scooters in Taipei.

feature + on + topic

Minh watched a television feature about traditional tea farmers in central Vietnam.

Common collocations
  • feature article
  • feature story
  • cover feature
  • special feature
  • main feature
Synonyms
  • article

    general term for any piece of writing in a publication; a feature is a longer, more detailed type of article.

  • segment

    the TV/radio equivalent; a part of a broadcast programme.

  • piece

    informal; works for both print and broadcast.

Grammar Patterns

feature + on / about + noun

feature article / story / programme

double feature

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1 (CHARACTERISTIC): a 'feature' in media is a whole piece of content, not a quality. Distinguish from 'article' — a feature is typically longer and more in-depth than a standard news article. Common in journalism vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

I read a news feature about the weather tomorrow.
I read a weather forecast.
a feature is an in-depth story, not a short daily report.

5. a full-length film, typically running 90 minutes or longer, that is the main att

5.nounB1
Definition

a full-length film, typically running 90 minutes or longer, that is the main attraction at a cinema — as opposed to a short film, a documentary, or a cartoon that plays before it.

Example

The cinema is showing a double feature of two classic Japanese films tonight.

double feature (traditional term for two films in one programme)

Piotr prefers watching short films online because he does not have time for a full feature.

Common collocations
  • feature film
  • double feature
  • main feature
  • first feature
Synonyms
  • movie

    everyday American English; less formal than 'feature'.

  • motion picture

    very formal; used in awards and official contexts.

Antonyms
  • short film

    a film under 40 minutes, often shown before a feature.

Grammar Patterns

feature film

double feature

main feature

Usage Note

In cinema contexts, 'feature' by itself means a feature-length film. The compound 'feature film' is used to distinguish it from a short film or documentary. 'Main feature' refers to the primary film when a programme includes multiple items.

Common Mistakes

The feature is only 45 minutes long.
The feature is 95 minutes long.
a feature is generally 90 minutes or more; shorter films are called 'short films'.

feature — verb

Word family

  • featured
    adjectiveB2
  • featureless
    adjectiveC1
  • feature-length
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These words all describe something true about a person or thing, but they differ in where they fit best. 'Feature' is the everyday choice for products, places, and systems: 'the phone's best feature is its battery life'. 'Characteristic' is more neutral and scientific; it names what defines or typifies something, from a species to a personality: 'a characteristic of bamboo is its fast growth'. 'Attribute' is formal and often abstract, used in professional or technical writing: 'the most important attribute of a leader is honesty'. 'Trait' leans toward personality and behaviour: 'patience is a rare trait in a young child'. 'Property' belongs to science and computing: 'the chemical properties of salt include its ability to dissolve in water'. In everyday conversation about a product, 'feature' is the natural choice; about a person, 'trait' or 'characteristic' fits better; about abstract concepts, 'attribute' sounds more sophisticated.

feature ↗characteristic ↗attribute ↗trait ↗property ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • safety feature
  • facial features
  • water feature
  • feature film
  • double feature

Adverbs

Phrases

  • key feature
  • main feature
  • distinctive feature
  • be featured in
  • feature prominently

Prepositions

  • of (a building / person / product)
  • in (a magazine / programme / film)
  • on (a website / TV show)

Etymology

LatinAnglo-FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'feature' entered Middle English in the 1300s from Anglo-French 'feture', meaning 'form' or 'shape'. This came from Latin 'factura', 'a making or formation', which was built on 'facere', meaning 'to make or do'. The original sense was about the overall shape of the body or face. By the 1400s, it narrowed to the parts of the face that give someone their appearance. In the 1600s, it broadened again to describe any prominent part or quality of a thing. The modern verb sense — 'to include as an important element' — developed in the late 1800s, first in entertainment and later in general use.