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virtual experience that directs the operation of a computer or electronic device, as in The software on my phone was so outdated, I couldn’t send texts to anyone.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.
See Examples For:
In these areas, he maintained that the Z platform and its associated software remained highly competitive based on factors such as economics and security.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
This decline was closely tied to the software associated with the platform.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Chip and machinery exports, along with investment in research and software development, sustained solid growth in the second quarter, while private consumption weakened and construction investment contracted.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
International Business Machines warned last week that its quarterly revenue had come up short as customers drained their budgets on artificial-intelligence hardware, leaving less room to invest in software.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Apart from movies, weekends were constructed around some new Net or Web project—trying out a just-purchased game, downloading new software, collecting and listening to music, installing a new operating system.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
Experts at the lab used computer softwares to add muscles, flesh and skin to the scans of skulls, bringing out their facial features.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2025
Moreover, such softwares use predetermined words to isolate human sounds, while the sound made by victims may vary based on the situation.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 6, 2024
Is the old-fashioned method of using pen & paper better and, perhaps, more efficient than online softwares?
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2022
UnitedHealth and Change offer competing softwares for processing healthcare claims and together serve 38 of the top 40 health insurers in the country, the DoJ said in its complaint in February.
From Reuters ● Apr. 25, 2022
So familiarity with Zoom and GoToMeeting and as many conferencing softwares as possible, but another thing they’re asking for is “Thread savvy” which is, you know, that scary empathy tech.
From Slate ● Feb. 22, 2017
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.
