Synonyms

freeware

American

[free-wair] / ˈfriˌwɛər /

noun

computer software distributed without charge.

freeware British

/ ˈfriːˌwɛə /

noun

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

/ frē′wâr′ /

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

Compare meaning

How does freeware compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

freeware vs. shareware

Vocabulary lists containing freeware

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.

Try reading reviews or recommendations from sites like mine before you download any freeware at all.

From Fox News • Sep. 12, 2021

The intro level doesn't come with many instruments built in, but there are enough freeware synths out there to keep a person busy for years.

From The Verge • Nov. 5, 2019

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

As the leader of a SunOS user group, one of Morin's primary duties during the 1980s had been to send out distribution tapes containing the best freeware or free software utilities.

From Free as in Freedom: Richard Stallman's Crusade for Free Software by Williams, Sam

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023