abandonware
noun
aban·don·ware
ə-ˈban-dən-ˌwer 
computing
: software that is no longer sold or supported by its creator
… thousands of private collectors post source code online for so-called abandonware—games that no longer are published or supported by the companies that created them.—
Clay Risen
Clay RisenExamples of abandonware in a Sentence
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Audition has the distinct whiff of abandonware, software that’s left to wither and die.
—Barry Collins, Forbes.com, 3 Feb. 2026
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Barry Collins, Forbes.com, 3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abandonware.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abandonware. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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