spyware
Americannoun
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Computers. software that is installed surreptitiously and gathers information about an internet user's browsing habits, intercepts the user's personal data, etc., transmitting this information to a third party.
a parent's use of spyware to monitor a child's online activities.
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tools that are used to conduct espionage.
sophisticated spyware that rivals that of the CIA.
noun
Etymology
Origin of spyware
Vocabulary lists containing spyware
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.
Last year, DHS reactivated a $2 million contract with the U.S. subsidiary of Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions, which makes Graphite, a hacking tool that can infiltrate encrypted messaging apps such as Signal and WhatsApp.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
The incredible double life of a spyware salesman turned spy.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026
Some of those companies are based in the U.S., while others, like Israeli spyware maker Paragon, are based overseas.
From Salon • Mar. 12, 2026
Predator spyware, marketed by the Athens-based Israeli company Intellexa, can get access to a device's messages, camera, and microphone.
From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026
It was a locked-down spyware version of Internet Explorer, Microsoft's crashware turd that no one under the age of 40 used voluntarily.
From Little Brother by Doctorow, Cory
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.
