operating system

American  

[op-uh-ray-ting sis-tuhm] / ˈɒp ə reɪ tɪŋ ˌsɪs təm /

noun

Computers.

• operating systems
  plural

1. the collection of software that directs a computer's operations, controlling and scheduling the execution of other programs, and managing storage, input/output, and communication resources. OS

---

operating system British  

noun

1. the set of software that controls the overall operation of a computer system, typically by performing such tasks as memory allocation, job scheduling, and input/output control

---

operating system Scientific  

/ ŏp′ə-rā′tĭng /

1. Software designed to handle basic elements of computer operation, such as sending instructions to hardware devices like disk drives and computer screens, and allocating system resources such as memory to different software applications being run. Given uniformly designed operating systems that run on many different computers, developers of software do not need to concern themselves with these problems, and are provided with a standard platform for new programs.

---

operating system Cultural  

1. The software that allows computer users to run applications with the hardware of a specific system. Microsoft® Windows® or Apple® Computer's OS are examples of operating systems.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• operating systems
  plural

Etymology

Origin of operating system

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

operating system

However, in May, it said it would be making the site available again for some UK Apple users who had confirmed their age with the company's most up-to-date version of iOS, its mobile operating system.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

Other topics we delve into include Apple’s new operating system and how to get compensated for an airline-seat downgrade.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026

Erased like an old operating system via update, Apple officially said goodbye to Tim Cook as CEO this week.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026

It was also able to find vulnerabilities in a hard-to-hack operating system.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

This is how having a funny brain that runs on a different operating system from other people’s helped me to figure out what had happened.

From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd