word processor

American  

noun

1. a computer program or computer system designed for word processing.

2. a person who performs word processing.

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word processor British  

noun

1. 1. a computer program that performs word processing

   2. a computer system designed for word processing

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Etymology

Origin of word processor

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Leading the way—briefly—was Harvard-educated inventor An Wang, whose engineers developed a landmark early word processor called the Wangwriter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 15, 2025

There is no word processor app on the tablets.

From Slate • Sep. 17, 2024

In this complex, the prime editor works like a "word processor," accurately replacing genomic information.

From Science Daily • May 29, 2024

As a child in the 1980s, his family owned a word processor with a screen that allowed one to view and edit just a couple lines of writing at a time.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 9, 2023

He put a password protection program on the word processor to keep his son out of his business.

From Underground by Dreyfus, Suelette