What does featuring mean?
'Featuring' is the present participle and gerund of the verb 'feature', meaning to include something as a prominent part, or to give particular prominence to a person or thing in a performance, broadcast, exhibition, or product. A concert might be featuring a headline band, a magazine might be featuring an exclusive interview, and a smartphone might be featuring an improved camera. The word carries a connotation of deliberate emphasis: whatever is featured is not merely present but singled out for attention. It is neutral in tone, appearing equally in journalism, advertising, and casual conversation. In popular music, it appears constantly in abbreviated form — 'feat.' — to credit a guest artist on a track, making it one of the most visible participles in modern entertainment. The underlying noun 'feature' derives ultimately from Latin 'factura', 'a making or fashioning', so to feature something is etymologically to shape it into prominence.
verb (present participle and gerund of 'feature')The present participle of 'feature': to have or include something as a prominent or distinctive part, or to give special prominence to someone or something.
- (of a place, event, product, etc.) to include or contain something as an important or noticeable part
- to give special prominence to a person or thing in a performance, publication, or broadcast
- (in entertainment credits) to present a performer in a supporting or secondary role alongside the main act
"The festival is featuring several award-winning jazz musicians this year."
"The new museum wing is featuring rare manuscripts from the fifteenth century."
"A documentary featuring interviews with surviving veterans airs tonight."
From Latin 'factura', meaning 'a making' — every film poster promising a movie 'featuring' your favorite star is quietly using a word that originally meant craftsmanship.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of featuring
'Featuring' derives from the verb 'feature', which developed from the noun 'feature' in the sense of 'to give prominence to'. The noun comes from Old French 'faiture', from Latin 'factura', meaning 'a making or working', from 'facere', 'to make or do'. The verb's entertainment sense of presenting a performer prominently arose in American usage in the late nineteenth century, particularly in theatrical advertising, before broadening into its general modern use of 'to include as a prominent element'. Cognates sharing the Latin root 'facere' include 'factory', 'fiction', and 'efficient'.
Related word forms
How featuring is actually used
'Featuring' is neutral in register and common in both formal writing and everyday speech. It is especially frequent in media, advertising, and entertainment contexts. In music credits, it is often abbreviated as 'feat.' or 'ft.' before a guest performer's name.
Easily confused with featuring
'Feathered' means covered with feathers, while 'featuring' means including or highlighting something as a prominent part; the words merely sound similar at a glance.