software

American  

[sawft-wair, soft-] / ˈsɔftˌwɛər, ˈsɒft- /

noun

1. Computers. the programs used to direct the operation of a computer, as well as documentation giving instructions on how to use them.

2. 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.

3. Television Slang. prepackaged materials, as movies or reruns, used to fill out the major part of a station's program schedule.

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software British  

/ ˈsɒftˌwɛə /

noun

1. computing the programs that can be used with a particular computer system Compare hardware

2. video cassettes and discs for use with a particular video system

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software Scientific  

/ sôft′wâr′ /

1. The programs, programming languages, and data that direct the operations of a computer system. Word processing programs and Internet browsers are examples of software.

2. Compare hardware

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software Cultural  

1. The programs and instructions that run a computer, as opposed to the actual physical machinery and devices that compose the hardware.

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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virtual experience that directs the operation of a computer or electronic device, as in The software on my phone was so outdated, I couldn’t send texts to anyone.Software can refer to anything that is used with hardware but is not the hardware itself.Example: The hardware is great, but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

First recorded in 1955–60; soft + ware ¹

Example Sentences

“As cheesy as it sounds, I wanted to re-create my dad with software.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Once a favorite of Wall Street, software stocks have been sliding lately, with investors increasingly concerned about how the sector could be upended by their newest crush: artificial-intelligence companies.

From The Wall Street Journal

California-based Anduril Industries says its autonomy software, Lattice, enables swarm coordination, though Navy tests of that system in May ended in failure.

From The Wall Street Journal

The next few weeks could also be a turning point for select software stocks, many of which have been battered recently by fears that AI could greatly disrupt their business models.

From MarketWatch

Many said it would be a complex undertaking given the breadth of American tech used, from chips and cloud services to AI models and other software.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• application
• application software
• program