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microprocessor

American  
[mahy-kroh-pros-es-er, ‑uh-ser, ‑-proh-ses-er, ‑suh-ser] / ˈmaɪ kroʊˌprɒs ɛs ər, ‑ə sər, ‑ˌproʊ sɛs ər, ‑sə sər /

noun

  1. an integrated computer circuit that performs all the functions of a CPU.

microprocessor British  
/ ˌmaɪkrəʊˈprəʊsɛsə /

noun

  1. computing a single integrated circuit performing the basic functions of the central processing unit in a small computer

"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
microprocessor Scientific  
/ mī′krō-prŏs′ĕs-ər /

  1. An integrated circuit that contains a processor, such as a central processing unit.

Other Word Forms

  • microprocessing noun

Etymology

Origin of microprocessor

First recorded in 1965–70; micro- + processor

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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.

He joined Intel in the 1980s and contributed to the company’s golden era, helping build Intel’s chip factories and mass-produce Intel’s 486 microprocessor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025

Huang, a former microprocessor designer, discussed the idea behind Nvidia inside a Denny’s in San Jose with fellow entrepreneurs Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 16, 2025

High-speed, high-capacity memory chips hold and quickly shuttle data to a computer’s microprocessor, which converts it into text, sound and images.

From New York Times • May 16, 2024

On a parabolic flight last year, where John experienced weightlessness for the first time, he found his day-to-day, hi-tech, microprocessor prosthetic leg would need recalibrating.

From BBC • May 8, 2024

These master-regulatory genes work by turning other genes on and off; they can be likened to circuits in a microprocessor.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

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.