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.

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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

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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

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software Cultural  

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

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experience that directs the operation of a computer or electronic device, as in The software on my phone was so outdated, I couldn’t send texts to anyone.Software can refer to anything that is used with hardware but is not the hardware itself.Example: The hardware is great, but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

However, cybersecurity analyst and software architect Ryan McBeth says that the U.S.’s massive military capabilities could allow the operation to continue “indefinitely,” even without relying on the most advanced, pinpoint weapons systems.

From Salon

Defending its business model, Sony told London's Competition Appeal Tribunal that third-party stores posed a security risk and it also used software sales to subsidise sales of its consoles.

From BBC

By running Xanadu’s quantum programming software, PennyLane, on AMD’s high-performance computing infrastructure, researchers improved the performance of a core algorithm called the quantum singular value transformation, which has applications in aerospace engineering.

From Barron's

Highlighting software engineers, accountants and advertising professionals as some of those most at risk of disruption, the investment bank’s analysts flag a potential risk for major banks’ credit quality.

From The Wall Street Journal

Parke, a 39-year-old software engineer, has hauled more than 1,000 pounds of metal to his apartment using a borrowed garden cart that he attaches to his bike or takes on the subway.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• application
• application software
• program