programming language

American  

[proh-gram-ing lang-gwij] / ˈproʊ græm ɪŋ ˌlæŋ gwɪdʒ /

noun

1. a high-level language used to write computer programs, as C++ or Python, or, sometimes, an assembly language.

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programming language British  

noun

1. a simple language system designed to facilitate the writing of computer programs See high-level language low-level language machine code

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programming language Scientific  

/ prō′grăm′ĭng /

1. An artificial language used to write instructions that can be translated into machine language and then executed by a computer. English and other natural languages are not used as programming languages because they cannot be easily translated into machine language.

2. ◆ A compiled language is a language in which the set of instructions (or code) written by the programmer is converted into machine language by special software called a compiler prior to being executed. C++ and SmallTalk are examples of compiled languages.

3. ◆ An interpreted language is a language in which the set of instructions (or code) written by the programmer is converted into machine language by special software called a compiler prior to being executed. Most scripting and macro languages are interpreted languages.

4. See also program

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programming language Cultural  

1. In computer technology, a set of conventions in which instructions for the machine are written. There are many languages that allow humans to communicate with computers; C++, BASIC, and Java are some common ones.

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Etymology

Origin of programming language

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

The programming language, which was first released in 1960, runs 95% of ATM transactions in the U.S., according to Anthropic’s blog post.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 23, 2026

Tech YouTuber Dave Eddy posted a video on Monday showing his followers how to use the Epstein files to download a reference manual for the programming language Bash.

From Slate • Feb. 3, 2026

Python, a programming language, may surprise some as an example to pick, since it has been around for more than three decades.

From BBC • Dec. 14, 2025

Amid everyone else’s AI battle, Apple created its Private Cloud Compute: open-source server software written in Apple’s programming language, running on Apple servers that sport Apple chips.

From Barron's • Dec. 5, 2025

One of the first was a compiler named VUCK, which converted programs written in the popular C programming language into machine-readable code.

From Free as in Freedom: Richard Stallman's Crusade for Free Software by Williams, Sam