personal computer

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

noun

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

personal computer

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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of personal computer¹

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

For the next two decades, AMD was consistently playing catch-up to Intel, another spawn of Fairchild that created the microprocessors that were used in most personal computers starting in the 1980s.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

While Nvidia has dominated the AI chip market, AMD’s processors are widely used for gaming, in personal computers and traditional data-center servers.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Intel's semiconductors were once a crucial part of the popularity of personal computers.

Read more on BBC

Intel, a Santa Clara-based tech behemoth that fueled the rise of personal computers, sits at a major crossroads in the company’s 57-year-old history as the competition to dominate artificial intelligence escalates.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

That, too, dates to the 1990s, when personal computers became common household items, putting an infinity portal into almost every home.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• desktop computer www.thesaurus.com
• laptop 
• minicomputer 
• workstation