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

Sourcing & Methodology This article was generated by software that analyzes National Weather Service warnings and advisories and creates an article based on templates created by humans. —Southern California Weather Report, Oc Register, 1 Dec. 2025

Duties include participating in all aspects of software development, in addition to helping improve product security and performance. —Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Dec. 2025

The company used its autonomy software, Field Foundation Models™, on a quadruped robot to conduct surveys and data collection at DPR Construction’s jobsite in Santa Clara, California. —Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 1 Dec. 2025

And among those travelers, thousands were impacted by weather, software updates, or other issues that caused flight delays or cancellations. —Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 1 Dec. 2025

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