microprocessor
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of microprocessor
Compare meaning
How does microprocessor compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Your computer has a number of microprocessors — each one a very small device with integrated circuits built into it that carry out the computer's logical operations. Because a microprocessor is so small, more than one is needed. A microprocessor is a chip inside your computer's central processing unit (CPU) or inside your phone or other mobile or smart device. Each one is something like a mini CPU itself, receiving digital signals, carrying out logical and arithmetic operations, and connecting peripherals (electronic equipment connected by cables) and memory chips. The word microprocessor uses the combining form micro-, from Greek mikros, meaning "small."
Vocabulary lists containing microprocessor
Computer Science and Technology - High School
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Electrical Engineering
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Engineering - Middle School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Two new technologies have reignited the “founder’s fire”: the microprocessor and the internet.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026
Lynn Conway, who died Sunday at 86, was a leader in the development of personal computers and microprocessor technology, and a symbol for generations of transgender individuals.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2025
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
They designed a specific TFT-based microprocessor and let it be produced in two foundries, after which they tested it in their lab, with success.
From Science Daily • Apr. 24, 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.
