Part vs. Feature: What's the Difference?

Edited by Aimie Carlson || By Harlon Moss || Updated on November 15, 2023

A part is a piece or segment of something larger, while a feature is a distinctive attribute or aspect of something.

Key Differences

"Part" implies a portion or component of a whole, essential to its integrity or functioning, like a cog in a machine. A "feature," however, is a characteristic that stands out, providing a unique quality or function, like a smartphone's camera. While a part integrates into the whole, a feature enhances and distinguishes the entity.

A part can be a physical segment, like a car door in a vehicle, integral to its complete structure. A feature, such as a car's built-in GPS, represents an additional characteristic that may provide convenience or enhancement. Parts form the essential constitution of an object, while features are often seen as beneficial additions.

In an organization, an employee is a part of the company, contributing to its operations and success. A feature of this organization might be its culture or a unique selling proposition that differentiates it in the market. Here, a part is a member of a larger entity, and a feature is an attribute that may contribute to its reputation or identity.

When you take apart a gadget, you disassemble it into its constituent parts, such as screws, casing, and circuitry, each vital for the gadget's function. Describing this gadget, you might list its features, like battery life or screen resolution, which describe its capabilities and advantages over other gadgets.

In literature, a part might refer to a role a character plays in a story, contributing to the plot and dynamics. A feature of a literary work could be its thematic elements or narrative style, which give it distinction and depth, influencing the reader's experience and interpretation.

Comparison Chart

Definition

A segment or component of a whole

A distinctive attribute or aspect

Role

Fundamental to structure or function

Provides uniqueness or enhancement

In a Machine

Like a bolt in an engine

Like voice-command technology in a car

In a Company

An employee as a part of the workforce

The company's flexible work hours as a feature

In Technology

The processor in a computer

Facial recognition technology as a feature

Part and Feature Definitions

Part

A contribution to a larger activity.

Everyone had a part to play in the project's success.

Feature

A part of the face, such as eyes or mouth.

Her eyes were her most striking feature.

Part

A portion or division of a whole.

This part of the book is my favorite.

Feature

A distinctive attribute or aspect.

The main feature of this phone is its camera.

Part

An element or component of a machine.

She ordered a new part for her dishwasher.

Feature

An important part of a program or service.

The new software's best feature is its user-friendliness.

Part

A role played by an actor.

He was excited to get the leading part in the movie.

Feature

A special article in a newspaper or magazine.

He wrote a feature on renewable energy trends.

Part

A portion, division, piece, or segment of a whole.

Feature

A full-length film or main attraction.

The feature tonight at the cinema is a new superhero movie.

Part

Any of several equal portions or fractions that can constitute a whole or into which a whole can be divided

A mixture of two parts flour to one part sugar.

Feature

Any of the distinct parts of the face, as the eyes, nose, or mouth.

Part

A division of a book or artistic work such as a film

A novel in three parts.

Feature

Often features The overall appearance of the face or its parts.

Part

An organ, member, or other division of an organism

A tail is not a part of a guinea pig.

Feature

A prominent or distinctive part, quality, or characteristic

A feature of one's personality.

A feature of the landscape.

Part

Parts The external genitals.

Feature

A property of linguistic units or forms

Nasality is a phonological feature.

Part

A component that can be separated from or attached to a system; a detachable piece

Spare parts for cars.

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.

Part

Often parts A region, area, land, or territory

"Minding your own business is second nature in these parts" (Boston).

Feature

The main film presentation at a theater.

Part

A role

He has the main part in the play.

Feature

A long, narrative movie, typically lasting more than one hour.

Part

One's responsibility, duty, or obligation; share

We each do our part to keep the house clean.

Feature

A special attraction at an entertainment.

Part

Parts Abilities or talents

A person of many parts.

Feature

A prominent or special article, story, or department in a newspaper or periodical.

Part

The music or score for a particular instrument, as in an orchestra.

Feature

An item advertised or offered as particularly attractive or as an inducement

A washing machine with many features.

Part

One of the melodic divisions or voices of a contrapuntal composition.

Feature

Outward appearance; form or shape.

Part

The line where the hair on the head is parted.

Feature

Physical beauty.

Part

To cause to move apart; put apart

Parted the curtains.

Feature

To give special attention to; display, publicize, or make prominent.

Part

To divide into two or more parts; split

The ship's prow parted the waves.

Feature

To have or include as a prominent part or characteristic

The play featured two well-known actors.

Part

To break up the relationship or association of

A dispute over ownership parted the founders of the business.

Feature

To depict or outline the features of.

Part

To comb (hair, for example) away from a dividing line, as on the scalp.

Feature

(Informal) To picture mentally; imagine

Can you feature her in that hat?.

Part

To go away from; depart from

He parted this life for a better one.

Feature

(obsolete) One's structure or make-up: form, shape, bodily proportions.

Part

(Archaic) To divide into shares or portions.

Feature

An important or main item.

Part

To be divided or separated

The curtain parted in the middle.

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.

Part

To move apart

Her lips parted, and she spoke.

Feature

(film) feature film

Part

To leave one another; take leave

They parted as friends.

Feature

Any of the physical constituents of the face (eyes, nose, etc.).

Part

To go away from another; depart

She parted from him at college graduation.

Feature

(computing) A beneficial capability of a piece of software.

Part

(Archaic) To die.

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

Part

To separate or divide into ways going in different directions

The road parts about halfway into the forest.

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.

Part

To disagree or stop associating because of a disagreement

The committee parted over the issue of pay raises for employees.

Feature

(engineering) Characteristic forms or shapes of parts. For example, a hole, boss, slot, cut, chamfer, or fillet.

Part

Partially; in part

Part yellow, part green.

Feature

An individual measurable property or characteristic of a phenomenon being observed; the input of a model.

Part

Not full or complete; partial

A part owner of the business.

Feature

(music) The act of being featured in a piece of music.

Part

A portion; a component.

Feature

(linguistics) The elements into which linguistic units can be broken down.

Part

A fraction of a whole.

Gaul is divided into three parts.

Feature

(transitive) To ascribe the greatest importance to something within a certain context.

Part

A distinct element of something larger.

The parts of a chainsaw include the chain, engine, and handle.

Feature

(transitive) To star, to contain.

Part

A group inside a larger group.

Feature

(intransitive) To appear, to make an appearance.

Part

Share, especially of a profit.

I want my part of the bounty.

Feature

To have features resembling.

Part

A unit of relative proportion in a mixture.

The mixture comprises one part sodium hydroxide and ten parts water.

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.

Part

3.5 centiliters of one ingredient in a mixed drink.

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.

Part

A section of a document.

Please turn to Part I, Chapter 2.

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.

Part

A section of land; an area of a country or other territory; region.

Feature

A form; a shape.

So scented the grim feature, and upturnedHis nostril wide into the murky air.

Part

A factor.

3 is a part of 12.

Feature

A prominent aspect of something;

The map showed roads and other features

Generosity is one of his best characteristics

Part

(US) A room in a public building, especially a courtroom.

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

Part

Duty; responsibility.

To do one’s part

Feature

The principal (full-length) film in a program at a movie theater;

The feature tonight is `Casablanca'

Part

Position or role (especially in a play).

We all have a part to play.

Feature

A special or prominent article in a newspaper or magazine;

They ran a feature on retirement planning

Part

(music) The melody played or sung by a particular instrument, voice, or group of instruments or voices, within a polyphonic piece.

The first violin part in this concerto is very challenging.

Feature

An article of merchandise that is displayed or advertised more than other articles

Part

Each of two contrasting sides of an argument, debate etc.; "hand".

Feature

Have as a feature;

This restaurant features the most famous chefs in France

Part

(US) The dividing line formed by combing the hair in different directions.

The part of his hair was slightly to the left.

Feature

Wear or display in an ostentatious or proud manner;

She was sporting a new hat

Part

(Judaism) In the Hebrew lunisolar calendar, a unit of time equivalent to 3⅓ seconds.

Part

A constituent of character or capacity; quality; faculty; talent; usually in the plural with a collective sense.

Part

(intransitive) To leave the company of.

Part

To cut hair with a parting; shed.

Part

(transitive) To divide in two.

To part the curtains

Part

(intransitive) To be divided in two or separated; shed.

A rope parts.

His hair parts in the middle.

Part

To divide up; to share.

Part

(obsolete) To have a part or share; to partake.

Part

To separate or disunite; to remove from contact or contiguity; to sunder.

Part

(obsolete) To hold apart; to stand or intervene between.

Part

To separate by a process of extraction, elimination, or secretion.

To part gold from silver

Part

To leave; to quit.

Part

To leave (an IRC channel).

Part

Fractional; partial.

Fred was part owner of the car.

Part

Partly; partially; fractionally.

Part finished

Part

One of the portions, equal or unequal, into which anything is divided, or regarded as divided; something less than a whole; a number, quantity, mass, or the like, regarded as going to make up, with others, a larger number, quantity, mass, etc., whether actually separate or not; a piece; a fragment; a fraction; a division; a member; a constituent.

And kept back part of the price, . . . and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles'feet.

Our ideas of extension and number - do they not contain a secret relation of the parts ?

I am a part of all that I have met.

Part

An equal constituent portion; one of several or many like quantities, numbers, etc., into which anything is divided, or of which it is composed; proportional division or ingredient.

An homer is the tenth part of an ephah.

A thought which, quartered, hath but one part wisdom,And ever three parts coward.

Part

A constituent portion of a living or spiritual whole; a member; an organ; an essential element.

All the parts were formed . . . into one harmonious body.

The pulse, the glow of every part.

Part

That which belongs to one, or which is assumed by one, or which falls to one, in a division or apportionment; share; portion; lot; interest; concern; duty; office.

We have no part in David.

Accuse not Nature! she hath done her part;Do thou but thine.

Let me bearMy part of danger with an equal share.

Part

A constituent of character or capacity; quality; faculty; talent; - usually in the plural with a collective sense.

Which maintained so politic a state of evil, that they will not admit any good part to intermingle with them.

Part

One of the opposing parties or sides in a conflict or a controversy; a faction.

For he that is not against us is on our part.

Make whole kingdoms take her brother's part.

Part

Quarter; region; district; - usually in the plural.

All parts resound with tumults, plaints, and fears.

Part

A particular character in a drama or a play; an assumed personification; also, the language, actions, and influence of a character or an actor in a play; or, figuratively, in real life; as, to play the part of Macbeth. See To act a part, under Act.

That partWas aptly fitted and naturally performed.

It was a brute part of him to kill so capital a calf.

Honor and shame from no condition rise;Act well your part, there all the honor lies.

Part

Such portion of any quantity, as when taken a certain number of times, will exactly make that quantity; as, 3 is a part of 12; - the opposite of multiple. Also, a line or other element of a geometrical figure.

Part

One of the different melodies of a concerted composition, which heard in union compose its harmony; also, the music for each voice or instrument; as, the treble, tenor, or bass part; the violin part, etc.

Part

To divide; to separate into distinct parts; to break into two or more parts or pieces; to sever.

There, [celestial love] parted into rainbow hues.

Part

To divide into shares; to divide and distribute; to allot; to apportion; to share.

To part his throne, and share his heaven with thee.

They parted my raiment among them.

Part

To separate or disunite; to cause to go apart; to remove from contact or contiguity; to sunder.

The Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me.

While he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.

The narrow seas that partThe French and English.

Part

To hold apart; to stand between; to intervene betwixt, as combatants.

The stumbling night did part our weary powers.

Part

To separate by a process of extraction, elimination, or secretion; as, to part gold from silver.

The liver minds his own affair, . . .And parts and strains the vital juices.

Part

To leave; to quit.

Since presently your souls must part your bodies.

Part

To separate (a collection of objects) into smaller collections; as, to part one's hair in the middle.

Part

To be broken or divided into parts or pieces; to break; to become separated; to go asunder; as, rope parts; his hair parts in the middle.

Part

To go away; to depart; to take leave; to quit each other; hence, to die; - often with from.

He wrung Bassanio's hand, and so they parted.

He owned that he had parted from the duke only a few hours before.

His precious bag, which he would by no means part from.

Part

To perform an act of parting; to relinquish a connection of any kind; - followed by with or from; as, to part with one's money.

Celia, for thy sake, I partWith all that grew so near my heart.

Powerful hands . . . will not partEasily from possession won with arms.

It was strange to him that a father should feel no tenderness at parting with an only son.

Part

To have a part or share; to partake.

Part

Partly; in a measure.

Part

Something determined in relation to something that includes it;

He wanted to feel a part of something bigger than himself

I read a portion of the manuscript

The smaller component is hard to reach

Part

The extended spatial location of something;

The farming regions of France

Religions in all parts of the world

Regions of outer space

Part

So far as concerns the actor specified;

It requires vigilance on our part

They resisted every effort on his part

Part

Something less than the whole of a human artifact;

The rear part of the house

Glue the two parts together

Part

One of the portions into which something is regarded as divided and which together constitute a whole;

The written part of the exam

The finance section of the company

The BBC's engineering division

Part

The actions and activities assigned to or required or expected of a person or group;

The function of a teacher

The government must do its part

Play its role

Part

A portion of a natural object;

They analyzed the river into three parts

He needed a piece of granite

Part

An actor's portrayal of someone in a play;

She played the part of Desdemona

Part

Assets belonging to or due to or contributed by an individual person or group;

He wanted his share in cash

Part

Any one of a number of individual efforts in a common endeavor;

I am proud of my contribution to the team's success

They all did their share of the work

Part

The melody carried by a particular voice or instrument in polyphonic music;

He tried to sing the tenor part

Part

A line where the hair is parted;

His part was right in the middle

Part

Go one's own away; move apart;

The friends separated after the party

Part

Discontinue an association or relation; go different ways;

The business partners broke over a tax question

The couple separated after 25 years of marriage

My friend and I split up

Part

Leave;

The family took off for Florida

Part

Come apart;

The two pieces that we had glued separated

Part

Force, take, or pull apart;

He separated the fighting children

Moses parted the Red Sea

Part

In part; in some degree; not wholly;

I felt partly to blame

He was partially paralyzed

Part

A piece or segment of something larger.

He played a part in the school play.

FAQs

Can something have multiple parts?

Yes, most things are made up of multiple parts.

Are features always beneficial?

Usually, but some features may be neutral or even negative, depending on context.

Are features always intentional?

Features are usually designed intentionally, but some may arise unintentionally.

Does a part contribute to function?

Yes, parts typically contribute to the functionality of the whole.

Can a part be a feature?

Yes, if a part stands out distinctly, it can also be described as a feature.

Is a part always physical?

No, a part can be abstract, like a part of a plan.

Does a feature contribute to function?

A feature may contribute to function, or it may add to aesthetics or value.

Can a feature become a part?

In a redesign or redefinition, a feature can become recognized as a part.

Are parts specific to one entity?

Parts are usually specific to the entity they belong to.

Is a part replaceable?

Often parts are replaceable, which is not always the case with features.

Can a feature be a part?

Yes, a feature can be considered a part when it's integral to the whole.

Is a feature essential?

Features may not be essential but often provide added benefits.

Are all features visible?

No, some features like software algorithms are not visible.

Can something have multiple features?

Yes, items often have several features that add to their value.

Can features be standardized?

Some features can be standardized across products or services.

Do all parts have a function?

In most cases, yes, though some may be purely decorative.

Is a part essential?

Most parts are essential for the whole to function properly.

Do parts need to be installed?

Physical parts often need to be installed, but abstract parts may just need to be recognized.

Are features added?

Features can be added to enhance a product, service, or entity.

Can the absence of a part affect the whole?

Yes, missing a part can hinder the whole's functionality.

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About Author

Written by

Harlon Moss

Harlon is a seasoned quality moderator and accomplished content writer for Difference Wiki. An alumnus of the prestigious University of California, he earned his degree in Computer Science. Leveraging his academic background, Harlon brings a meticulous and informed perspective to his work, ensuring content accuracy and excellence.

Edited by

Aimie Carlson

Aimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.