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Synonyms

app

1 American  
[ap] / æp /

noun

  1. Digital Technology. a software application, often a small, specialized program for mobile devices.

    You’ll find numerous free photo editing apps in the app store on your smartphone.

    The word processing app that comes with the laptop isn’t adequate for our publishing needs.

  2. an application; a form to be filled out by an applicant.

    I'm working on my college apps.
app 2 American  
[ap] / æp /

noun

  1. Informal. an appetizer served before a meal.

app. 3 American  

abbreviation

  1. apparatus.

  2. apparent.

  3. appendix.

  4. applied.

  5. appointed.

  6. approved.

  7. approximate.

app British  
/ æp /

noun

  1. informal computing short for application program

"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

Etymology

Origin of app1

First recorded in 1985–90; shortening of application ( def. )

Origin of app2

By shortening

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.

For the first time, the census will be conducted digitally, with enumerators using mobile apps to collect and upload data.

From BBC

Track feeds will be available on fan apps.

From Los Angeles Times

The app would combine ChatGPT, the coding agent Codex, browsing and “broader agentic capabilities,” the company said, which would allow AI systems to work autonomously to carry out tasks.

From MarketWatch

The market for telescopes and stargazing apps is booming.

From The Wall Street Journal

The company recently ditched its much-hyped Sora video app, and is looking at other areas to cut so it can focus its efforts on building so-called productivity tools, particularly coding assistants.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.