1
a
: forming an integral part of a structure or object
a camera with a built-in flash
especially
: constructed as or in a recess in a wall
a built-in bookshelf
b
: built into the ground
a built-in swimming pool
2
a
: inherent
a built-in advantage
b
: already established
Their best-seller status gave them a built-in audience.
Examples of built-in in a Sentence
Adjective
a poker player with a seemingly built-in ability to read his opponents' faces
Recent Examples on the Web
Larry Magid, Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2025
Copperhead bite video Footage from the study shows vipers can break during strikes, and snakes have built-in mechanisms to deal with that: a replacement set of fangs tucked behind the active pair.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 28 Oct. 2025
Babbel has built-in speech recognition to help fine-tune your accent as well.
—PC Magazine, 25 Oct. 2025
Step 7: Clean the water line This step only applies to refrigerators that have built-in dispensers for water and ice.
—Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for built-in
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Adjective
There are also numerous third-party speakers with Alexa built-in, including some very high-end audio systems.
—Larry Magid, Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2025
Copperhead bite video Footage from the study shows vipers can break during strikes, and snakes have built-in mechanisms to deal with that: a replacement set of fangs tucked behind the active pair.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 28 Oct. 2025
Babbel has built-in speech recognition to help fine-tune your accent as well.
—PC Magazine, 25 Oct. 2025
Step 7: Clean the water line This step only applies to refrigerators that have built-in dispensers for water and ice.
—Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for built-in
Cite this Entry
“Built-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/built-in. Accessed 24 Nov. 2025.
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