Final answer:
Higher-order functions in functional programming languages allow developers to put a function at the place where its return value is expected.
Step-by-step explanation:
The higher-order function feature in a functional programming language allows a developer to put a function at the place where its return value is expected. This means that functions can be passed as arguments to other functions. For example, a higher-order function can take a function that calculates the square of a number and apply it to a list of numbers, returning a new list with the squares of those numbers.
This feature is useful for writing more concise and modular code. It allows for code reusability and makes it easier to write functions that can operate on different types of data. Higher-order functions also enable functional programming techniques such as map, filter, and reduce.
Overall, the higher-order function feature in functional programming languages enhances code flexibility, readability, and modularity.