Feature vs. Characteristic — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on November 2, 2023
Features are distinctive attributes or aspects of something, often seen as selling points, while characteristics are inherent qualities or traits that define someone or something.
Difference Between Feature and Characteristic
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Features often refer to distinctive aspects of a product or place that can be considered a selling point or benefit, such as the features of a smartphone. Characteristics, however, delve deeper into the inherent qualities that make up an object or individual, like the characteristics of a leader. Features may be added or enhanced, but characteristics are typically ingrained.
In describing a car, for example, the sunroof and leather seats are features - specific, notable elements. The car’s reliability and design, however, are characteristics, forming the essence of the car's identity. Features can be quantifiable and often advertised, whereas characteristics form the general, sometimes more abstract, assessment of an object or person.
Both features and characteristics are used to describe and differentiate, but features tend to be more superficial or optional, like the features of a software program, whereas characteristics are the fundamental traits, such as the characteristics of a programming language. Features are the "what you have," while characteristics are more about "what you are."
In biology, features might refer to physical adaptations of an organism that have evolved for a specific function, like the webbed feet of a duck. Characteristics would refer to the species-defining traits, such as the characteristic behavior or physiology of ducks as a whole. Features might change with development or environment, but characteristics remain consistent.
Features can be shared across different categories, like the features common to electric appliances, while characteristics are often used to describe distinctive qualities that may set a category apart, like the characteristics unique to smart devices. Features are usually a subset of characteristics, highlighting notable attributes.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
A distinctive attribute or aspect
An inherent quality or trait
Purpose
To highlight and advertise
To define or describe fundamentally
Changeability
Can be added or enhanced
Generally ingrained and stable
Usage Context
Often used in marketing
Used in broad descriptions
Examples
Sunroof in a car, facial recognition on a phone
Reliability of a car, intelligence in humans
Compare with Definitions
Feature
The structure, form, or appearance especially of a person.
His sharp features were striking.
Characteristic
Typical of a particular person, place, or thing.
Her laughter is very characteristic of her joyful nature.
Feature
To bring special attention to.
The gallery features local artists.
Characteristic
Being a feature that helps to identify a species or category.
Stripes are a characteristic of zebras.
Feature
Any of the distinct parts of the face, as the eyes, nose, or mouth.
Characteristic
Typical of a particular person, place, or thing
He began with a characteristic attack on extremism
Feature
Often features The overall appearance of the face or its parts.
Characteristic
A feature or quality belonging typically to a person, place, or thing and serving to identify them
Certain defining characteristics of the school emerge from the study
Feature
A prominent or distinctive part, quality, or characteristic
A feature of one's personality.
A feature of the landscape.
Characteristic
The whole number or integral part of a logarithm, which gives the order of magnitude of the original number.
Feature
A property of linguistic units or forms
Nasality is a phonological feature.
Characteristic
Being a feature that helps to distinguish a person or thing; distinctive
Heard my friend's characteristic laugh.
The stripes that are characteristic of the zebra.
Feature
In generative linguistics, any of various abstract entities that specify or combine to specify phonological, morphological, semantic, and syntactic properties of linguistic forms and that act as the targets of linguistic rules and operations.
Characteristic
A feature that helps to identify, tell apart, or describe recognizably; a distinguishing mark or trait.
Feature
The main film presentation at a theater.
Characteristic
(Mathematics) The integral part of a logarithm as distinguished from the mantissa
The characteristic of the logarithm 6.3214 is 6.
Feature
A long, narrative movie, typically lasting more than one hour.
Characteristic
(Mathematics) The least number of times the multiplicative identity in a ring needs to be added to itself to reach the additive identity, or, if the additive identity is never reached, zero. The integers have a characteristic of zero; the integers modulo 12 have a characteristic of 12.
Feature
A special attraction at an entertainment.
Characteristic
Being a distinguishing feature of a person or thing.
Feature
A prominent or special article, story, or department in a newspaper or periodical.
Characteristic
A distinguishing feature of a person or thing.
Feature
An item advertised or offered as particularly attractive or as an inducement
A washing machine with many features.
Characteristic
(mathematics) The integer part of a logarithm.
Feature
Outward appearance; form or shape.
Characteristic
(nautical) The distinguishing features of a navigational light on a lighthouse etc by which it can be identified (colour, pattern of flashes etc.).
Feature
Physical beauty.
Characteristic
For a given field or ring, a natural number that is either the smallest positive number n such that n instances of the multiplicative identity (1) summed together yield the additive identity (0) or, if no such number exists, the number 0.
The characteristic of a field, if non-zero, must be a prime number.
Feature
To give special attention to; display, publicize, or make prominent.
Characteristic
Pertaining to, or serving to constitute, the character; showing the character, or distinctive qualities or traits, of a person or thing; peculiar; distinctive.
Characteristic clearness of temper.
Feature
To have or include as a prominent part or characteristic
The play featured two well-known actors.
Characteristic
A distinguishing trait, quality, or property; an element of character; that which characterized.
The characteristics of a true critic.
Feature
To depict or outline the features of.
Characteristic
The integral part (whether positive or negative) of a logarithm.
Feature
(Informal) To picture mentally; imagine
Can you feature her in that hat?.
Characteristic
A prominent aspect of something;
The map showed roads and other features
Generosity is one of his best characteristics
Feature
(obsolete) One's structure or make-up: form, shape, bodily proportions.
Characteristic
A distinguishing quality
Feature
An important or main item.
Characteristic
The integer part (positive or negative) of the representation of a logarithm; in the expression log 643 = 2.808 the characteristic is 2
Feature
(media) A long, prominent article or item in the media, or the department that creates them; frequently used technically to distinguish content from news.
Characteristic
Any measurable property of a device measured under closely specified conditions
Feature
(film) feature film
Characteristic
Typical or distinctive;
Heard my friend's characteristic laugh
Red and gold are the characteristic colors of autumn
Stripes characteristic of the zebra
Feature
Any of the physical constituents of the face (eyes, nose, etc.).
Characteristic
A distinguishing trait or quality.
One characteristic of mammals is warm-bloodedness.
Feature
(computing) A beneficial capability of a piece of software.
Characteristic
An integral attribute that defines something.
Persistence is a characteristic important for success.
Feature
The cast or structure of anything, or of any part of a thing, as of a landscape, a picture, a treaty, or an essay; any marked peculiarity or characteristic.
One of the features of the landscape
Characteristic
Showing a distinctive aspect of a person’s character.
His characteristic generosity was evident at the fundraiser.
Feature
(archaeology) Something discerned from physical evidence that helps define, identify, characterize, and interpret an archeological site.
A feature of many Central Texas prehistoric archeological sites is a low spreading pile of stones called a rock midden. Other features at these sites may include small hearths.
Feature
(engineering) Characteristic forms or shapes of parts. For example, a hole, boss, slot, cut, chamfer, or fillet.
Feature
An individual measurable property or characteristic of a phenomenon being observed; the input of a model.
Feature
(music) The act of being featured in a piece of music.
Feature
(linguistics) The elements into which linguistic units can be broken down.
Feature
(transitive) To ascribe the greatest importance to something within a certain context.
Feature
(transitive) To star, to contain.
Feature
(intransitive) To appear, to make an appearance.
Feature
To have features resembling.
Feature
The make, form, or outward appearance of a person; the whole turn or style of the body; esp., good appearance.
What needeth it his feature to descrive?
Cheated of feature by dissembling nature.
Feature
The make, cast, or appearance of the human face, and especially of any single part of the face; a lineament. (pl.) The face, the countenance.
It is for homely features to keep home.
Feature
The cast or structure of anything, or of any part of a thing, as of a landscape, a picture, a treaty, or an essay; any marked peculiarity or characteristic; as, one of the features of the landscape.
And to her service bind each living creatureThrough secret understanding of their feature.
Feature
A form; a shape.
So scented the grim feature, and upturnedHis nostril wide into the murky air.
Feature
A prominent aspect of something;
The map showed roads and other features
Generosity is one of his best characteristics
Feature
The characteristic parts of a person's face: eyes and nose and mouth and chin;
An expression of pleasure crossed his features
His lineaments were very regular
Feature
The principal (full-length) film in a program at a movie theater;
The feature tonight is `Casablanca'
Feature
A special or prominent article in a newspaper or magazine;
They ran a feature on retirement planning
Feature
An article of merchandise that is displayed or advertised more than other articles
Feature
Have as a feature;
This restaurant features the most famous chefs in France
Feature
Wear or display in an ostentatious or proud manner;
She was sporting a new hat
Feature
A prominent attribute or aspect of something.
Voice command is a key feature of the device.
Feature
To play a significant part in or be a characteristic of.
She features in the company's latest advertisement.
Feature
An important part of a film, play, or show.
The feature tonight at the cinema is an action movie.
Common Curiosities
Are characteristics always permanent?
Typically, characteristics are stable and inherent, though they can evolve over time.
Is "feature" used more in marketing than "characteristic"?
Yes, "feature" is commonly used in marketing to highlight aspects of a product.
Can a feature also be a characteristic?
Yes, a feature can be a characteristic if it's a defining aspect of something.
Are characteristics always positive?
No, characteristics can be either positive, negative, or neutral.
Do people have features or characteristics?
People have both: features that may stand out and characteristics that define them.
Are characteristics genetic?
Many characteristics are genetic, but others can be acquired or influenced by environment.
Are characteristics important in identifying species?
Yes, characteristics are crucial for classification and identification in biology.
Is a fingerprint a feature or characteristic?
A fingerprint can be considered both, a feature for security purposes, and a characteristic of an individual.
Can a product have both features and characteristics?
Absolutely, products often have a mix of both features and characteristics.
Can a service have features?
Yes, services can have features that enhance the customer experience.
Are "feature" and "characteristic" synonyms?
They can be used interchangeably in some contexts but have nuanced differences.
Can features be customized?
Features can often be customized or chosen, such as car features or phone settings.
Can a building have characteristics?
Yes, buildings can have characteristics like style and design that define them.
Can an app have too many features?
Yes, overloading an app with features can make it complex and difficult to use.
Does a "characteristic" change with context?
Characteristics are relatively stable but can be perceived differently in different contexts.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
