user-friendly
Americanadjective
adjective
-
easy to use or understand
a user-friendly dictionary
-
(of a computer system) easily operated and understood by means of a straightforward guide in jargon-free language
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of user-friendly
First recorded in 1980–85
Explanation
A gadget that is user-friendly is easy to use. User-friendly devices can be used quickly, even if you haven't used anything like it before. Have you ever tried to use something like a video camera and had a hard time figuring out how to use it, even after reading the instructions? Devices that are difficult to use are not user-friendly. A user-friendly device is easy to figure out. The designer has thought about how a new user would approach it and has made the experience simple. Just about anyone can pick a user-friendly device up and start using it.
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.
Thank you, Bill Gates, Michael Dell and Steve Jobs, for putting computers, smartphones and user-friendly apps into the hands of billions of people.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
He now runs his own business and uses his past experiences to help charities, like food banks, make their services more user-friendly.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
Best for Beginners: TunnelBear — Easily the most user-friendly option.
From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026
To be clear, user-friendly design and usability principles have indeed transformed the world for the better in many ways, and to an incredible degree.
From Slate ● Apr. 4, 2026
Dirt is the working layer of earth, and dealing with dirt is as much a part of farm life as dealing with manure: Neither is user-friendly but both are necessary.
From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg
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.
