software
Americannoun
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Computers. the programs used to direct the operation of a computer, as well as documentation giving instructions on how to use them.
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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.
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Television Slang. prepackaged materials, as movies or reruns, used to fill out the major part of a station's program schedule.
noun
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computing the programs that can be used with a particular computer system Compare hardware
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video cassettes and discs for use with a particular video system
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The programs, programming languages, and data that direct the operations of a computer system. Word processing programs and Internet browsers are examples of software.
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Compare 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virtual experience that directs the operation of a computer or electronic device, as in The software on my phone was so outdated, I couldn’t send texts to anyone.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.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of software
Explanation
In computer science, software is a computer program you can load on your computer. Software includes everything from operating systems to game programs. The word software was first used in print in 1958 by John Tukey, a statistician. Some experts suggest the actual word was coined in 1953 as a joke by Paul Niquette. He used the word to refer to the programs for a computer — as opposed to the hardware that made up the physical computer. You can purchase software, install software, and even fix software bugs.
Vocabulary lists containing software
Computer Science and Technology - Introductory
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Computer Science and Technology - Middle School
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Computer Science and Technology - High School
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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.
Microsoft has been a big backer of OpenAI but is struggling to remain on the forefront of the fast-moving technology, which threatens to unseat software makers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 11, 2026
Before it went public last week, Bending Spoons spent the past few years scooping up the old companies behind forgotten software that millions of people still use every day, like AOL, Evernote and Vimeo.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 11, 2026
His company, Tron, is a blockchain, a global software network on which you can buy and sell crypto currencies.
From BBC • Jul. 10, 2026
Companies in industrial parts, software, consulting and life sciences were the other sectors in the Southland that attracted venture investments.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2026
Well, I was reminded of that story while visiting Global Edge, an Indian software design firm in Bangalore.
From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman
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.
