app

1 of 2

noun

1
: application sense 3
a word processing app
especially : an application designed for a mobile device (such as a smartphone)
Health-insurance companies and government officials alike are drawn to the ability of smartphone apps to reach tough-to-access patients, to effect long-term lifestyle changes, and to do it all at a very low cost. Marcellus Hall
see also killer app
2
informal : appetizer
… the hidden video monitors that tell the cooks when the V.I.P.'s have finished their appsThomas McNamee

app

2 of 2

abbreviation

1
apparatus
2
appendix
3
appliance

Examples of app in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Spotify has teamed up with the popular OpenAI model, letting users discover music and podcasts without switching apps. Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2025 Little kids will enjoy its pre-programmed songs and dances, while older kids can use a smart app to program new movement patterns and routines. Anja Webb, Parents, 7 Oct. 2025 The iPhone lets users record and transcribe calls with just the tap of a button, as do other apps. Nushrat Rahman, Freep.com, 6 Oct. 2025 For example, Bizness Apps was part of the mobile app wave. Tim Brinkhof, Big Think, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for app

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1981, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of app was in 1981

Cite this Entry

“App.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/app. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

app

noun
ˈap
1
2
informal : appetizer

Medical Definition

app

1 of 2 abbreviation
appendix

APP

2 of 2 abbreviation
amyloid precursor protein

Legal Definition

App

abbreviation
Appeals

More from Merriam-Webster on app

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