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Synonyms

browser

American  
[brou-zer] / ˈbraʊ zər /

noun

  1. a person or thing that browses.

  2. Digital Technology. a software program that allows the user to find and read encoded documents in a form suitable for display, especially such a program for use on the internet.

    You may need to pause internet security features and refresh the page in your web browser to play the embedded videos.


browser British  
/ ˈbraʊzə /

noun

  1. a person or animal that browses

  2. computing a software package that enables a user to find and read hypertext files, esp on the Internet

"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

browser Scientific  
/ brouzər /
  1. A program that accesses and displays files and other data available on the Internet and other networks. Entering a website's URL in the address window of a browser will bring up that website in the browser's main window.


browser Cultural  

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of browser

browse ( def. ) + -er 1 ( def. ); browser def. 1 was first recorded in 1680–90, and browser def. 2 in 1980–85

Explanation

A browser is a looker: either a program that lets you surf the Internet or a person in a store who just looks around without buying. This is a word that has to do with looking around, otherwise known as browsing. You probably use web browsers, which allow you to see websites on a computer. But you could also be a browser if you go to a store and just look around. Being a browser is a good way to kill time, but as soon as you make a purchase, you've gone from being a browser to being a customer.

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Vocabulary lists containing browser

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.

It makes sense to compare the debuts of the pioneering web browser and the AI agent, because the rallies that followed were driven by a similar need — the need for more speed.

From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026

And in March of this year, Mozilla, operator of the Firefox web browser, turned its Firefox logo into a fully-fledged mascot called Kit.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

The Justice Department, which brought the case against Google in 2020, had proposed forcing the sale of its Chrome browser, among other things.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

Those are also activities humans would typically open a web browser to do, but AI agents can accomplish them faster and at a much greater scale, Agrawal said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

But now, right at the top of the browser, was exactly what Candice and Brandon had been looking for.

From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson

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