software

American  

[sawft-wair, soft-] / ˈsɔftˌwɛər, ˈsɒft- /

noun

1. Computers. the programs used to direct the operation of a computer, as well as documentation giving instructions on how to use them.

2. anything that is not hardware but is used with hardware, especially audiovisual materials, as film, tapes, records, etc..

   a studio fully equipped but lacking software.

3. Television Slang. prepackaged materials, as movies or reruns, used to fill out the major part of a station's program schedule.

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software British  

/ ˈsɒftˌwɛə /

noun

1. computing the programs that can be used with a particular computer system Compare hardware

2. video cassettes and discs for use with a particular video system

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software Scientific  

/ sôft′wâr′ /

1. The programs, programming languages, and data that direct the operations of a computer system. Word processing programs and Internet browsers are examples of software.

2. Compare hardware

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software Cultural  

1. The programs and instructions that run a computer, as opposed to the actual physical machinery and devices that compose the hardware.

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Usage

What is software? Software is a program or virtual experience that directs the operation of a computer or electronic device, as in The software on my phone was so outdated, I couldn’t send texts to anyone.Software can refer to anything that is used with hardware but is not the hardware itself.Example: The hardware is great, but there just isn’t enough software to back it up.

Etymology

Origin of software

First recorded in 1955–60; soft + ware ¹

Example Sentences

On Monday, over $200 billion of market capitalization was wiped out of software stocks as the market reacted to a hypothetical artificial-intelligence doomsday scenario.

From MarketWatch

Workday has been under pressure this year due to investor concerns about the software sector’s ability to monetize artificial intelligence.

From MarketWatch

Fears that the technology will upend the software industry sent stocks tumbling earlier this month, and the selloff accelerated yesterday after a viral blog post about AI risks.

From The Wall Street Journal

Historically, investors have been willing to pay a premium for Microsoft’s stock, but the company’s exposure to software and lack of acceleration in its cloud business has made investors question Microsoft’s aggressive AI spending.

From MarketWatch

This year has already tested investors with abrupt crash courses on new Anthropic tools that might doom — or complement — software companies, the legal profession, payment systems, banks, cybersecurity and more.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• application
• application software
• program