malware

noun

mal·​ware ˈmal-ˌwer 

: software designed to interfere with a computer's normal functioning

Examples of malware in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Thankfully, spyware is still very targeted at journalists, dissidents, government officials and businesses operating in certain sectors, but the net is widening, with criminals using the malware to attack businesses in finance and other industries. — Kate O'Flaherty, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026

The agency says criminals use malware to steal personal information and commit fraud. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026

ClickFix works by tricking you into performing an action on your computer that stealthily downloads and installs malware. — Alan Henry, PC Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026

The cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks recently studied websites at domain names whose URLs are frequently hallucinated by AI chatbots, discovering at some of these sites a range of malware and other malicious code. — David Berreby, IEEE Spectrum, 13 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

malicious + -ware (as in software)

First Known Use

1990, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for malware

• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare
• compare

Kids Definition

malware

noun

ˈmal-ˌwer 

: software designed to interfere with a computer's normal functioning

Legal Definition

malware

noun

mal·​ware ˈmal-ˌwer 

: software that is designed to interfere with a computer's normal functioning and that can be used to commit cybercrime (as by revealing passwords, PINs, and other sensitive data)

Etymology

mal- bad + software