software

[sawft-wair, soft-]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR software ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Computers. the programs used to direct the operation of a computer, as well as documentation giving instructions on how to use them.Compare hardware(def 5).

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.

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

Origin of software

First recorded in 1955–60; soft + ware¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for software

program, spreadsheet, freeware, groupware, shareware, courseware, vaporware

Examples from the Web for software

Contemporary Examples of software

“The U.S. Navy will attain IOC [initial operational capability] in 2018 with 3F software,” DellaVedova wrote.
Pentagon Misfires in Stealth Jet Scandal
Dave Majumdar
January 8, 2015
Now it can't open on my phone due to what appears to be software incompatibility.
My Week on Jewish Tinder
Emily Shire
January 5, 2015
But the F-35 has been plagued with massive delays and cost overruns—mostly due to design defects and software issues.
New U.S. Stealth Jet Can’t Fire Its Gun Until 2019
Dave Majumdar
December 31, 2014
The income of a software engineering intern at Facebook is comparable, with monthly incomes of over $6,500.
Silicon Valley Interns Make a Service Worker’s Yearly Salary In Three Months
Samantha Allen
November 25, 2014
“It is impossible by elections to choose normal people,” argues Yoram Gat, an Israeli software engineer with a PhD in statistics.
Is It Time to Take a Chance on Random Representatives?
Michael Schulson
November 8, 2014

Historical Examples of software

Today, the term machine is evocative of software rather than hardware.
The Civilization of Illiteracy
Mihai Nadin
Hardware was there, like hammers and planes; and software, like sugar and meal.
Fighting the Sea
Edward A. Rand
Software advances will be even more critical for Rapid Dominance.
Shock and Awe
Harlan K. Ullman
The discussion in this book can be combined with his Mathematica software, available on that site.
Definition & Reality in the General Theory of Political Economy
Thomas Colignatus
Depending on the hard- and software used and their settings, not all characters and symbols may display as intended.
Alchemy: Ancient and Modern
H. Stanley Redgrove

British Dictionary definitions for software

software

noun

computing the programs that can be used with a particular computer systemCompare hardware (def. 2)

video cassettes and discs for use with a particular video system

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

Word Origin and History for software

1851, soft wares, "woolen or cotton fabrics," also, "relatively perishable consumer goods," from soft + ware (n.). The computer sense is a separate coinage from 1960, based on hardware.

software in Science

software

[sôft′wâr′]

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

software in Culture

software

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