malware

[ mal-wair ]

nounDigital Technology.
  1. software intended to damage a computer, mobile device, computer system, or computer network, or to take partial control over its operation: tips on finding and removing viruses, spyware, and other malware.

Origin of malware

1
First recorded in 1990–95; mal(icious) + -ware

Words Nearby malware

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How to use malware in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for malware

malware

/ (ˈmælwɛə) /


noun
  1. a computer program designed specifically to damage or disrupt a system, such as a virus

Origin of malware

1
C20: from mal (icious) + (soft) ware

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for malware

malware

[ mălwâr′ ]


  1. Software that is written and distributed for malicious purposes, such as impairing or destroying computer systems. Computer viruses are malware.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.