software
Americannoun
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Computers. the programs used to direct the operation of a computer, as well as documentation giving instructions on how to use them.
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anything that is not hardware but is used with hardware, especially audiovisual materials, as film, tapes, records, etc..
a studio fully equipped but lacking software.
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Television Slang. prepackaged materials, as movies or reruns, used to fill out the major part of a station's program schedule.
noun
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computing the programs that can be used with a particular computer system Compare hardware
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video cassettes and discs for use with a particular video system
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The programs, programming languages, and data that direct the operations of a computer system. Word processing programs and Internet browsers are examples of software.
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Compare hardware
Usage
What is software? Software is a program or virtual experience that directs the operation of a computer or electronic device, as in The software on my phone was so outdated, I couldn’t send texts to anyone. Software can refer to anything that is used with hardware but is not the hardware itself. Example: The hardware is great, but there just isn’t enough software to back it up.
Etymology
Origin of software
Explanation
In computer science, software is a computer program you can load on your computer. Software includes everything from operating systems to game programs. The word software was first used in print in 1958 by John Tukey, a statistician. Some experts suggest the actual word was coined in 1953 as a joke by Paul Niquette. He used the word to refer to the programs for a computer — as opposed to the hardware that made up the physical computer. You can purchase software, install software, and even fix software bugs.
Vocabulary lists containing software
Computer Science and Technology - Introductory
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Computer Science and Technology - Middle School
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Computer Science and Technology - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
After ChatGPT launched, Stack Overflow, the world’s largest online community for software developers, saw web traffic drop by roughly 12 percent and question volumes fall across its most popular topics.
From Slate • Apr. 12, 2026
It was a turbulent quarter: Even before war broke out, tech stocks were plagued by concerns of an oncoming “Saas-pocalypse,” or fears that AI technology would render huge software companies obsolete.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
Recent concerns have centered on artificial intelligence’s potential to disrupt software companies that have borrowed heavily from private-credit funds.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026
Coders may be worried about very effective new AI programming assistants, but Raman said there’s still a need for software engineers — as long as they’re prepared to take on different types of functions.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026
“However, you have our most basic unit. Would you like us to upgrade her software, or adjust her settings, or polish out these scratches?”
From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
