source code

noun

: a computer program in its original programming language (such as FORTRAN or C) before translation into object code usually by a compiler

Examples of source code in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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This substitution only happens when the font engine draws the page on screen, meaning scrapers that simply download plaintext source code get an altered version that end users never see. Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2026 The situation becomes considerably more complicated for models whose underlying source code is not publicly available. Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Aug. 2026 These systems are trained on publicly available source code pulled from open-source repositories. Varun Badhwar, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 But the breach demonstrates that sophisticated AI systems can discover and exploit novel attack paths in real-world systems without access to their underlying source code, OpenAI acknowledged. Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for source code

Word History

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of source code was in 1965

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Cite this Entry

“Source code.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/source%20code. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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