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Synonyms

shareware

American  
[shair-wair] / ˈʃɛərˌwɛər /

noun

Computers.

  1. software distributed without initial charge but for which the user is encouraged to pay a nominal fee to cover support for continued use.

shareware British  
/ ˈʃɛəˌwɛə /

noun

  1. computing software available to all users without the need for a licence and for which a token fee is requested

"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

Etymology

Origin of shareware

share 1 + -ware

Compare meaning

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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 company was built on a shareware model, encouraging users to download antiviral software for free and pay later.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2021

But the shareware and modding scene I remember has nothing on the cornucopia bestowed on gamers today.

From The Verge • Oct. 29, 2020

You could download this shareware program, you’d pay $30 or something to have it.

From Slate • Apr. 24, 2018

Ultra Business Tycoon III, another game by Porpentine, begins as a parody of an “edutainment” game from the 1990s — complete with its own antiquated shareware code.

From New York Times • Nov. 19, 2014

In addition to collaborating on the company’s games, he masterminded all of their early marketing campaigns and shareware distribution schemes, with astounding results.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

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.