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freeware

American  
[free-wair] / ˈfriˌwɛər /

noun

  1. computer software distributed without charge.


freeware British  
/ ˈfriːˌwɛə /

noun

  1. computer software that may be distributed and used without payment

"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

freeware Scientific  
/ frēwâr′ /
  1. Software that is available to users for free. Freeware is often made available for downloading over the Internet.


Etymology

Origin of freeware

First recorded in 1980–85

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Vocabulary lists containing freeware

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.

Some freeware sites still have it, or if you’re lucky, there might be about three toolbar installers deep in the downloads folder of any old PC.

From The Verge • Dec. 16, 2021

Here’s the caveat: If you weren’t actively looking for a particular program, do NOT download freeware you find on the internet.

From Fox News • Sep. 12, 2021

Ordinary computer users, many of them with no prior hacking experience, volunteered to become “script kiddies,” wielding premade freeware code scripts to contribute to the attack.

From The Guardian • Dec. 2, 2017

They totally left an opening for Kaspersky and some freeware competitors in the SMB space,” says Firstbrook.

From Forbes • Apr. 13, 2011

The irony of using this as a cultural recognition signal appeals to freeware hackers. :shareware: /sheir'weir/ /n./

From The Jargon File, Version 4.0.0, 24 Jul 1996 by Raymond, Eric S.