feline

adjective

fe·​line ˈfē-ˌlīn 

1

: of, relating to, or affecting cats or the cat family

2

: resembling a cat: such as

a

: sleekly graceful

b

: sly, treacherous

c

: stealthy

feline noun

felinely adverb

felinity

fē-ˈli-nə-tē 

noun

Did you know?

Cats have always provoked a strong reaction from humans. The Egyptians worshipped them, leaving thousands of feline mummies and idols as evidence. In the Middle Ages, felines were feared as agents of the devil, and were thought to creep around silently at night doing evil. (Notice that feline is also a noun.) The fascinating family called the Felidae includes about 40 species of superb hunters, including the lions, tigers, jaguars, cheetahs, cougars, bobcats, and lynxes, and almost all of them are smooth, silent, and independent.

Synonyms

• graceful

Examples of feline in a Sentence

They move with feline agility.

the thief was eerily feline as he moved stealthily through the darkened rooms

Recent Examples on the Web

Lastly, My Roommate Is a Cat is the touching story of how a shy novelist named Mikazuki Subaru comes to live with a feline companion who was dumped by humans and lived a tough life on the streets. —Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025

Readers recently sent in photos of their feline friends to our cutest cat contest. —Idaho Statesman, 22 Oct. 2025

Other carvings show human-like figures, feline imagery and a flower or shield image, according to the study. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2025

According to a report from CBS News, the volunteer foster organization hopes to place her and a feline companion with whom Xiao Mao has bonded in a forever home in the next few months. —Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin felinus, from felis

First Known Use

1681, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing feline

• feline distemper
• feline panleukopenia

Rhymes for feline

• affine
• airline
• align
• aline
• assign
• baseline
• beamline
• benign
• bloodline
• bovine
• byline
• canine

Kids Definition

feline

1 of 2 adjective

fe·​line

ˈfē-ˌlīn

1

a

: belonging to the family of flesh-eating mammals with soft fur that includes the cats, lions, tigers, leopards, pumas, and lynxes

b

: of or resembling a cat : characteristic of cats

2

: sly sense 1, stealthy

feline

2 of 2 noun

: a feline animal : cat

Medical Definition

feline

adjective

fe·​line ˈfē-ˌlīn 

: of, relating to, or affecting cats or the family Felidae

feline noun