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View synonyms for

feedback

[ feed-bak ]

noun

  1. Electronics.
    1. the process of returning part of the output of a circuit, system, or device to the input, either to oppose the input negative feedback or to aid the input positive feedback.
  2. the furnishing of data concerning the operation or output of a machine to an automatic control device or to the machine itself, so that subsequent or ongoing operations of the machine can be altered or corrected.
  3. a reaction or response to a particular process or activity:

    He got very little feedback from his speech.

  4. evaluative information derived from such a reaction or response:

    to study the feedback from an audience survey.

  5. Psychology. knowledge of the results of any behavior, considered as influencing or modifying further performance. Compare biofeedback.
  6. Biology. a self-regulatory biological system, as in the synthesis of some hormones, in which the output or response affects the input, either positively or negatively.


feedback

/ ˈھːˌæ /

noun

    1. the return of part of the output of an electronic circuit, device, or mechanical system to its input, so modifying its characteristics. In negative feedback a rise in output energy reduces the input energy; in positive feedback an increase in output energy reinforces the input energy
    2. that part of the output signal fed back into the input
  1. the return of part of the sound output by a loudspeaker to the microphone or pick-up so that a high-pitched whistle is produced
  2. the whistling noise so produced
    1. the effect of the product of a biological pathway on the rate of an earlier step in that pathway
    2. the substance or reaction causing such an effect, such as the release of a hormone in a biochemical pathway
  3. information in response to an inquiry, experiment, etc

    there was little feedback from our questionnaire

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. tr to return (part of the output of a system) to its input
  2. to offer or suggest (information, ideas, etc) in reaction to an inquiry, experiment, etc
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

feedback

  1. The supply of an input to some process or system as a function of its output.
  2. See more at negative feedback

feedback

  1. A process in which a system regulates itself by monitoring its own output. That is, it “feeds back” part of its output to itself. Feedback is used to control machines; a heating system, for example, uses a thermostat to monitor and adjust its output. Feedback is also used by the human brain to control various muscles and joints.
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Notes

Feedback is usually a feature of automation.
By extension, “feedback” is any response or information about the result of a process.
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Word History and Origins

Origin of feedback1

First recorded in 1915–20; noun use of verb phrase feed back
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

This bias can create a negative feedback loop, the paper warns, where the most-studied species keep getting studied and the “drab” species fade into the background, forgotten by both science and the public.

From

The Verge reported the project is "still in early stages," but the company and its boss Sam Altman have privately been asking for feedback on a potential rival to X.

From

Exchanging honest feedback is one of the things that was instilled in them from their father, the Gilroys say.

From

So it’s always a joy to be able to do something a second time, especially with feedback from the actors who’ve been performing them.

From

In another, he was told: "The app currently specifies 'Polygon' without differentiating between standard and bridged options. I'll note your feedback for future improvements."

From

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Feed a cold; starve a feverfeedback loop