English Explanatory Dictionary

software

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Encoded computer instructions, usually modifiable (unless stored in some form of unalterable memory such as ROM).
  2. The human beings involved in warfare, as opposed to hardware such as weapons and vehicles.
  3. Recorded music content, as opposed to the hardware necessary for reproducing it.
  4. Soft goods, such as textiles.

Pronunciation

/ˈsɒf(t)ˌwɛə/ /ˈsɔf(t)ˌwɛɹ/ /ˈsɑf(t)ˌwɛɹ/ en-us-software.ogg /ˈsɒf(t)ˌwɛɹ/ /ˈsɔf(t)ˌweː/ /ˈsɔfʈˌwa(r)/ /-wer/

Word forms

software softwares

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-West Germanic *samftī Old English sōfte Middle English softe English soft Proto-Germanic *warō Proto-West Germanic *waru Old English waru Middle English ware English -ware English software Computing sense from soft + -ware, by contrast with hardware (“the computer itself”). Coined by John Tukey in 1958. The earlier sense of software to mean tangible products with a soft texture may have fallen out of common usage before the computing sense was created.

Synonyms

program software app

Related words

firmware hardware software assurance software crisis software engineering software state vaporware application assembler assembly bug code coding compilation compiler debugging interpreter linker linking open source patch programming script utilities warez computer GUI programming language executable source code widget

Derived words

adware application software applications software biosoftware bloatware collaborative software docketing software firmware free software freeware hardware intersoftware kitchen table software kitchen-table software libre software malware Microsoft microsoftware neurosoftware non-free software nonsoftware presentation software retroware schlockware service as a software substitute shareware softbot softlifting softmodem softography softphone software archaeology software architect software architecture software configuration management software container software defined radio software deployment software engine software engineer software escrow software forge software framework software house softwareless software lifecycle software life cycle softwarematically software package software rot softwarey softwarily softwarization softworks spyware system software systems software telesoftware time-tracking software -ware
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
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