virtual machine
Americannoun
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Also called system virtual machine. a self-contained operating environment that behaves as if it is a separate computer, with no access to the host operating system.
When an application runs in a virtual machine, there is little chance that it will damage files or applications in the host system.
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Also called process virtual machine,. Also called application virtual machine. a platform-independent execution environment that itself runs as a normal application inside a host operating system and enables a program written for the virtual machine to execute the same way on any platform.
JVM, written in the Java programming language, is the most common process virtual machine.
Etymology
Origin of virtual machine
First recorded in 1960–65
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.
Its new N4A virtual machine is the company’s most cost-effective so far, it said.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2025
A: Yes, you can run Ubuntu Linux on MacBooks, though it will require installing virtual machine software.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 17, 2022
Apps effectively run in a virtual machine, contained within their own world but able to sit side by side with other Windows apps.
From The Verge ● Oct. 20, 2021
Blade wants you to treat your virtual machine like your own computer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2018
If you clicked on a corrupt attachment, the malware would affect the virtual machine but not the real machine—that is, not the rest of your computer.
From Slate ● May 15, 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.
