app

1 of 2

noun

1
: application sense 3
a word processing app
especially : an application designed for a mobile device (such as a smartphone)
Health-insurance companies and government officials alike are drawn to the ability of smartphone apps to reach tough-to-access patients, to effect long-term lifestyle changes, and to do it all at a very low cost. Marcellus Hall
see also killer app
2
informal : appetizer
… the hidden video monitors that tell the cooks when the V.I.P.'s have finished their appsThomas McNamee

app

2 of 2

abbreviation

1
apparatus
2
appendix
3
appliance

Examples of app in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Major companies hit The website Downdetector said that user reports indicated problems at sites including Amazon, Disney+, Lyft, the McDonald's app, The New York Times, Reddit, Ring, Robinhood, Snapchat, T-Mobile, United Airlines, Venmo and Verizon. Tasmin Lockwood,katrina Bishop, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025 First, locate the red star Betelgeuse using a smartphone astronomy app. Anthony Wood, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2025 LangChain’s framework let developers build those capabilities into their LLM apps—and adoption skyrocketed. Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2025 The platform powers many apps and websites used by millions around the world every day, including Snapchat and Netflix. Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for app

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1981, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of app was in 1981

Cite this Entry

“App.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/app. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

app

noun
ˈap
1
2
informal : appetizer

Medical Definition

app

1 of 2 abbreviation
appendix

APP

2 of 2 abbreviation
amyloid precursor protein

Legal Definition

App

abbreviation
Appeals

More from Merriam-Webster on app

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