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software

American  
[sawft-wair, soft-] / ˈsɔftˌwɛər, ˈsɒft- /

noun

  1. Computers. the programs used to direct the operation of a computer, as well as documentation giving instructions on how to use them.

  2. 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.

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

software British  
/ ˈsɒftˌwɛə /

noun

  1. computing the programs that can be used with a particular computer system Compare hardware

  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
software Scientific  
/ sôft′wâr′ /

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

  2. Compare hardware

software Cultural  

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

Usage

What is software? Software is a program or virtual experience that directs the operation of a computer or electronic device, as in The software on my phone was so outdated, I couldn’t send texts to anyone.Software can refer to anything that is used with hardware but is not the hardware itself.Example: The hardware is great, but there just isn’t enough software to back it up.

Etymology

Origin of software

First recorded in 1955–60; soft + ware 1

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.

Combined with modern visualization tools, graphics software, and digital techniques, these ideas gain even greater relevance and practical impact.

From Science Daily

First off, the market is afraid that a massive internet or software company will suddenly—and dramatically—slow the growth of its capital investments because of smaller returns on that spending.

From Barron's

First off, the market is afraid that a massive internet or software company will suddenly—and dramatically—slow the growth of its capital investments because of smaller returns on that spending.

From Barron's

Nvidia is investing heavily in providing the foundational software that can make robots work across multiple industries, including manufacturing, retail, and healthcare.

From Barron's

Commonwealth Fusion Systems is working with the tech companies to develop a virtual replica of CFS’s nuclear fusion machine, courtesy of Nvidia’s and Siemens’s AI and industrial software might.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.