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Synonyms

personal computer

American  

noun

  1. a compact computer that uses a microprocessor and is designed for individual use, as by a person in an office or at home or school, for such applications as word processing, data management, financial analysis, or computer games. PC

personal computer British  

noun

  1. a small inexpensive computer used in word processing, playing computer games, etc

"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
personal computer Scientific  
/ pûr′sə-nəl /

  1. A computer built around a microprocessor for use by an individual. Personal computers have their own operating systems, software, and peripherals, and can generally be linked to networks.

  2. Compare mainframe

personal computer Cultural  

  1. A computer typically used in the home, office, or school. Also a generic term for a PC Microsoft® operating system.

Etymology

Origin of personal computer

First recorded in 1975–80

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.

The idea of artificial intelligence, let alone a personal computer, was a fantasy at best.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026

The personal computer didn’t just change what existing businesses did, for example, but gave rise to entirely new industries.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

Ding downloaded the trade secrets to his personal computer less than two weeks before he resigned from Google in December 2023, prosecutors said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026

The firm has heard strong signals from personal computer manufacturers about Intel’s products at and since the CES tech conference, it said.

From Barron's • Jan. 20, 2026

Just a few years before he was born, in 1983, Time magazine did a twist on its person of the year feature and instead named the personal computer its “Machine of the Year.”

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

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.