COBOL

noun

CO·​BOL ˈkō-ˌbȯl How to pronounce COBOL (audio)
variants or Cobol
: a computer programming language designed for business applications

Examples of COBOL in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In its heyday, COBOL allowed Wall Street to be innovative, but as payment processors such as Stripe, Paypal, and Adyen have become the new normal, COBOL prevents our banking institutions from modernizing and represents an imminent security threat. —Bythomas Dohmke, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2023 And that’s before the last of the COBOL generation retires. —IEEE Spectrum, 29 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'COBOL.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

common business oriented language

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of COBOL was in 1960

Dictionary Entries Near COBOL

cobnut

COBOL

cobola

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Cite this Entry

“COBOL.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/COBOL. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.

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Kids Definition

COBOL

noun
CO·​BOL
variants or Cobol
ˈkō-ˌbȯl How to pronounce COBOL (audio)
: a computer programming language used especially in business
Etymology

common business oriented language

More from Merriam-Webster on COBOL

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about COBOL

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