feedback
FEED-bak
/ˈfiːdbæk/
Information about reactions to a product, a person's performance of a task, etc., used as a basis for improvement.
Implies constructive criticism or evaluation intended to help improve future performance.
The story behind the word. The word 'feedback' is a relatively modern compound, emerging in the early 20th century, particularly in engineering and cybernetics. It literally means 'feeding back' information or results into a system to adjust or improve its operation. This concept was then adopted into psychology, education, and business to describe evaluative responses that help a person or process improve.
Word relationships
- critique: Often more formal and detailed, especially in arts or academic fields.
- comments: More general; can be less structured or evaluative.
- evaluation: A more formal assessment, often with a grade or rating.
Collocations
- constructive feedback
- receive feedback
- give feedback
- positive feedback
- negative feedback
Example sentences
- "The professor's detailed feedback on my essay helped me understand where I needed to improve." A student receiving comments on their essay.
- "We encourage open and honest feedback during performance reviews to foster growth." A manager reviewing an employee's work.
Memory hook
FEEDBACK helps you FEED your brain with information to get BACK on track. Feed back info
When not to use
Do not use 'feedback' for simple information or facts; it specifically refers to evaluative responses.
Fun facts
- The term 'feedback loop' is used in systems theory to describe a process where outputs are 'fed back' as inputs.
Explore more words
give feedback, actionable, iterate, iteration, formative, take action
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