software

noun

soft·​ware ˈsȯft-ˌwer 

: something used or associated with and usually contrasted with hardware: such as

a

: programs for a computer

accounting software

b

dated : the entire set of programs, procedures, and related documentation associated with a mechanical or electronic system and especially a computer system

c

: materials for use with audiovisual equipment

… television programs, music, and movies are now called software, by the way …

—Robert Bixby

Examples of software in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

OpenClaw was founded by Austrian software developer Peter Steinberger late last year, and its popularity has helped spark an AI agent frenzy. —Dylan Butts, CNBC, 18 Mar. 2026

Additionally, Fitbit will soon let those on the Public Preview software share their medical records to better understand their overall health. —James Peckham, PC Magazine, 18 Mar. 2026

This article was generated by the Bay Area Home Report Bot, software that analyzes home sales or other data and creates an article based on a template created by humans. —Bay Area Home Report, Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2026

Nvidia announces updates AI giant Nvidia, the world’s most valuable company, announced a slew of software and hardware updates to encourage the development of AI agents, or AI assistants that can perform tasks for users. —Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 17 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for software

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

Kids Definition

software

noun

soft·​ware ˈsȯf-ˌtwa(ə)r 

-ˌtwe(ə)r

: the programs and related information used by a computer