freeware

American  

[free-wair] / ˈfriˌwɛər /

noun

1. computer software distributed without charge.

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freeware British  

/ ˈfriːˌwɛə /

noun

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

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freeware Scientific  

/ frē′wâr′ /

1. Software that is available to users for free. Freeware is often made available for downloading over the Internet.

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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

Example Sentences

The game arrived in 2013 as a freeware project authored by a Swedish IT professional named Anton Wallén, right as Google was working to fill in the gaps to worldwide camera coverage.

From The Verge

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

It doesn’t help that Facebook’s first tests look like flat banner ads from a website or freeware game.

From The Verge

“I found an Internet forum of people who were doing freeware games, where you make a game and give it for free on the Internet,” Robinson Swink says.

From Washington Post

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