diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b8647373..318b6ba6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -317,6 +317,25 @@ These are the features supported at the function-scope:
   - [mnemonic](#mnemonic)
   - [characteristics](#characteristics)
 
+All of them support an optional description which helps with documenting rules and provides context in capa's output.
+It can be specified in the following way:
+
+```
+- string: This program cannot be run in DOS mode.
+  description: MS-DOS stub message
+- number: 0x4550
+  description: IMAGE_DOS_SIGNATURE (MZ)
+```
+
+For all features except for [string](#string), the description can be specified inline preceded by ` = `.
+For the previous [number](#number) example:
+
+```
+- number: 0x4550 = IMAGE_DOS_SIGNATURE (MZ)
+```
+
+The inline syntax is preferred (except for [string](#string)).
+
 ### api
 A call to a named function, probably an import,
 though possibly a local function (like `malloc`) extracted via FLIRT.
@@ -339,8 +358,8 @@ For example, a crypto constant.
 
 The parameter is a number; if prefixed with `0x` then in hex format, otherwise, decimal format.
 
-To associate context with a number, e.g. for constant definitions, append an equal sign and the respective name to
-the number definition. This helps with documenting rules and provides context in capa's output.
+It can include an optional description, e.g. for constant definitions.
+The inline syntax is preferred (` = DESCRIPTION STRING`).
 
 Examples:
 
@@ -362,20 +381,29 @@ Regexes should be surrounded with `/` characters.
 By default, capa uses case-sensitive matching and assumes leading and trailing wildcards.
 To perform case-insensitive matching append an `i`. To anchor the regex at the start or end of a string, use `^` and/or `$`.
 
+Strings can include a description, but the inline syntax is not supported.
+
 Examples:
 
-    string: This program cannot be run in DOS mode.
-    string: Firefox 64.0
-    string: /SELECT.*FROM.*WHERE/
-    string: /Hardware\\Description\\System\\CentralProcessor/i
-    
+```
+- string: This program cannot be run in DOS mode.
+  description: MS-DOS stub message
+- string: '{3E5FC7F9-9A51-4367-9063-A120244FBEC7}'
+  description: CLSID_CMSTPLUA
+- string: Firefox 64.0
+- string:'/SELECT.*FROM.*WHERE/
+- string: /Hardware\\Description\\System\\CentralProcessor/i
+```
+
 Note that regex matching is expensive (`O(features)` rather than `O(1)`) so they should be used sparingly.
 
 ### bytes
 A sequence of bytes referenced by the logic of the program. 
 The provided sequence must match from the beginning of the referenced bytes and be no more than `0x100` bytes.
-The parameter is a sequence of hexadecimal bytes followed by an optional description.
- 
+The parameter is a sequence of hexadecimal bytes.
+It can include an optional description.
+The inline syntax is preferred (` = DESCRIPTION STRING`).
+
 
 The example below illustrates byte matching given a COM CLSID pushed onto the stack prior to `CoCreateInstance`.
 
@@ -397,6 +425,7 @@ A structure offset referenced by the logic of the program.
 This should not be a stack offset.
 
 The parameter is a number; if prefixed with `0x` then in hex format, otherwise, decimal format.
+It can be followed by an optional description.
 
 Examples:
 
@@ -453,6 +482,8 @@ These are the features supported at the file-scope:
   - [import](#import)
   - [section](#section)
 
+All of them can be followed by an optional description, as the features in the previous section.
+
 ### file string
 An ASCII or UTF-16 LE string present in the file.
 
diff --git a/capa/features/__init__.py b/capa/features/__init__.py
index 9fec2d76..182cd514 100644
--- a/capa/features/__init__.py
+++ b/capa/features/__init__.py
@@ -17,10 +17,11 @@ def bytes_to_str(b):
 
 
 class Feature(object):
-    def __init__(self, args):
+    def __init__(self, args, description=None):
         super(Feature, self).__init__()
         self.name = self.__class__.__name__
         self.args = args
+        self.description = description
 
     def __hash__(self):
         return hash((self.name, tuple(self.args)))
@@ -28,8 +29,17 @@ class Feature(object):
     def __eq__(self, other):
         return self.name == other.name and self.args == other.args
 
+    def _str_name(self):
+        return self.name.lower()
+
+    def _str_value(self):
+        return ','.join(self.args)
+
     def __str__(self):
-        return '%s(%s)' % (self.name.lower(), ','.join(self.args))
+        if self.description:
+            return '%s(%s = %s)' % (self._str_name(), self._str_value(), self.description)
+        else:
+            return '%s(%s)' % (self._str_name(), self._str_value())
 
     def __repr__(self):
         return str(self)
@@ -50,22 +60,22 @@ class Feature(object):
 
 
 class MatchedRule(Feature):
-    def __init__(self, rule_name):
-        super(MatchedRule, self).__init__([rule_name])
+    def __init__(self, rule_name, description=None):
+        super(MatchedRule, self).__init__([rule_name], description)
         self.rule_name = rule_name
 
-    def __str__(self):
-        return 'match(%s)' % (self.rule_name)
+    def _str_name(self):
+        return 'match'
 
 
 class Characteristic(Feature):
-    def __init__(self, name, value=None):
+    def __init__(self, name, value=None, description=None):
         '''
         when `value` is not provided, this serves as descriptor for a class of characteristics.
         this is only used internally, such as in `rules.py` when checking if a statement is
           supported by a given scope.
         '''
-        super(Characteristic, self).__init__([name, value])
+        super(Characteristic, self).__init__([name, value], description)
         self.name = name
         self.value = value
 
@@ -74,27 +84,23 @@ class Characteristic(Feature):
             raise ValueError('cannot evaluate characteristc %s with empty value' % (str(self)))
         return super(Characteristic, self).evaluate(ctx)
 
-    def __str__(self):
+    def _str_value(self):
         if self.value is None:
-            return 'characteristic(%s)' % (self.name)
+            return self.name
         else:
-            return 'characteristic(%s(%s))' % (self.name, self.value)
+            return '%s(%s)' % (self.name, self.value)
 
 
 class String(Feature):
-    def __init__(self, value):
-        super(String, self).__init__([value])
+    def __init__(self, value, description=None):
+        super(String, self).__init__([value], description)
         self.value = value
 
-    def __str__(self):
-        return 'string("%s")' % (self.value)
-
 
 class Bytes(Feature):
-    def __init__(self, value, symbol=None):
-        super(Bytes, self).__init__([value])
+    def __init__(self, value, description=None):
+        super(Bytes, self).__init__([value], description)
         self.value = value
-        self.symbol = symbol
 
     def evaluate(self, ctx):
         for feature, locations in ctx.items():
@@ -106,11 +112,8 @@ class Bytes(Feature):
 
         return capa.engine.Result(False, self, [])
 
-    def __str__(self):
-        if self.symbol:
-            return 'bytes(0x%s = %s)' % (bytes_to_str(self.value).upper(), self.symbol)
-        else:
-            return 'bytes(0x%s)' % (bytes_to_str(self.value).upper())
+    def _str_value(self):
+        return '0x%s' % bytes_to_str(self.value).upper()
 
     def freeze_serialize(self):
         return (self.__class__.__name__,
diff --git a/capa/features/file.py b/capa/features/file.py
index 708b8e2b..396edd1f 100644
--- a/capa/features/file.py
+++ b/capa/features/file.py
@@ -2,30 +2,21 @@ from capa.features import Feature
 
 
 class Export(Feature):
-    def __init__(self, value):
+    def __init__(self, value, description=None):
         # value is export name
-        super(Export, self).__init__([value])
+        super(Export, self).__init__([value], description)
         self.value = value
 
-    def __str__(self):
-        return 'Export(%s)' % (self.value)
-
 
 class Import(Feature):
-    def __init__(self, value):
+    def __init__(self, value, description=None):
         # value is import name
-        super(Import, self).__init__([value])
+        super(Import, self).__init__([value], description)
         self.value = value
 
-    def __str__(self):
-        return 'Import(%s)' % (self.value)
-
 
 class Section(Feature):
-    def __init__(self, value):
+    def __init__(self, value, description=None):
         # value is section name
-        super(Section, self).__init__([value])
+        super(Section, self).__init__([value], description)
         self.value = value
-
-    def __str__(self):
-        return 'Section(%s)' % (self.value)
diff --git a/capa/features/insn.py b/capa/features/insn.py
index b8ebf9da..122bd0ae 100644
--- a/capa/features/insn.py
+++ b/capa/features/insn.py
@@ -2,45 +2,34 @@ from capa.features import Feature
 
 
 class API(Feature):
-    def __init__(self, name):
+    def __init__(self, name, description=None):
         # Downcase library name if given
         if '.' in name:
             modname, impname = name.split('.')
             name = modname.lower() + '.' + impname
 
-        super(API, self).__init__([name])
+        super(API, self).__init__([name], description)
 
 
 class Number(Feature):
-    def __init__(self, value, symbol=None):
-        super(Number, self).__init__([value])
+    def __init__(self, value, description=None):
+        super(Number, self).__init__([value], description)
         self.value = value
-        self.symbol = symbol
 
-    def __str__(self):
-        if self.symbol:
-            return 'number(0x%x = %s)' % (self.value, self.symbol)
-        else:
-            return 'number(0x%x)' % (self.value)
+    def _str_value(self):
+        return '0x%x' % self.value
 
 
 class Offset(Feature):
-    def __init__(self, value, symbol=None):
+    def __init__(self, value, description=None):
         super(Offset, self).__init__([value])
         self.value = value
-        self.symbol = symbol
 
-    def __str__(self):
-        if self.symbol:
-            return 'offset(0x%x = %s)' % (self.value, self.symbol)
-        else:
-            return 'offset(0x%x)' % (self.value)
+    def _str_value(self):
+        return '0x%x' % self.value
 
 
 class Mnemonic(Feature):
-    def __init__(self, value):
-        super(Mnemonic, self).__init__([value])
+    def __init__(self, value, description=None):
+        super(Mnemonic, self).__init__([value], description)
         self.value = value
-
-    def __str__(self):
-        return 'mnemonic(%s)' % (self.value)
diff --git a/capa/rules.py b/capa/rules.py
index 8e42d0fc..7e2ffd6a 100644
--- a/capa/rules.py
+++ b/capa/rules.py
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ def parse_feature(key):
         return capa.features.basicblock.BasicBlock
     elif key.startswith('characteristic(') and key.endswith(')'):
         characteristic = key[len('characteristic('):-len(')')]
-        return lambda v: capa.features.Characteristic(characteristic, v)
+        return lambda v, description=None: capa.features.Characteristic(characteristic, v, description)
     elif key == 'export':
         return capa.features.file.Export
     elif key == 'import':
@@ -220,18 +220,18 @@ def parse_feature(key):
         raise InvalidRule('unexpected statement: %s' % key)
 
 
-def parse_symbol(s, value_type):
+def parse_description(s, value_type, description=None):
     '''
     s can be an int or a string
     '''
-    if isinstance(s, str) and '=' in s:
-        value, symbol = s.split('=', 1)
-        symbol = symbol.strip()
-        if symbol == '':
-            raise InvalidRule('unexpected value: "%s", symbol name cannot be empty' % s)
+    if value_type != 'string' and isinstance(s, str) and ' = ' in s:
+        if description:
+            raise InvalidRule('unexpected value: "%s", only one description allowed (inline description with `=`)' % s)
+        value, description = s.split(' = ', 1)
+        if description == '':
+            raise InvalidRule('unexpected value: "%s", description cannot be empty' % s)
     else:
         value = s
-        symbol = None
 
     if isinstance(value, str):
         if value_type == 'bytes':
@@ -244,17 +244,17 @@ def parse_symbol(s, value_type):
             if len(value) > MAX_BYTES_FEATURE_SIZE:
                 raise InvalidRule('unexpected bytes value: byte sequences must be no larger than %s bytes' %
                                   MAX_BYTES_FEATURE_SIZE)
-        else:
+        elif value_type in ['number', 'offset']:
             try:
                 value = parse_int(value)
             except ValueError:
                 raise InvalidRule('unexpected value: "%s", must begin with numerical value' % value)
 
-    return value, symbol
+    return value, description
 
 
 def build_statements(d, scope):
-    if len(d.keys()) != 1:
+    if len(d.keys()) > 2:
         raise InvalidRule('too many statements')
 
     key = list(d.keys())[0]
@@ -330,10 +330,10 @@ def build_statements(d, scope):
                 #
                 #     count(offset(0xC))
                 #     count(number(0x11223344))
-                #     count(number(0x100 = symbol name))
+                #     count(number(0x100 = description))
                 if term in ('number', 'offset', 'bytes'):
-                    value, symbol = parse_symbol(arg, term)
-                    feature = Feature(value, symbol)
+                    value, description = parse_description(arg, term)
+                    feature = Feature(value, description)
                 else:
                     # arg is string, like:
                     #
@@ -370,13 +370,8 @@ def build_statements(d, scope):
             raise InvalidRule('invalid regular expression: %s it should use Python syntax, try it at https://pythex.org' % d[key])
     else:
         Feature = parse_feature(key)
-        if key in ('number', 'offset', 'bytes'):
-            # parse numbers with symbol description, e.g. 0x4550 = IMAGE_DOS_SIGNATURE
-            # or regular numbers, e.g. 37
-            value, symbol = parse_symbol(d[key], key)
-            feature = Feature(value, symbol)
-        else:
-            feature = Feature(d[key])
+        value, symbol = parse_description(d[key], key, d.get('description'))
+        feature = Feature(value, symbol)
         ensure_feature_valid_for_scope(scope, feature)
         return feature