app

1 of 2

noun

ˈap 

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 apps …

—Thomas McNamee

app

2 of 2

abbreviation

1

apparatus

2

appendix

3

appliance

Examples of app in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Advancements in technology have historically required some type of privacy tradeoff, like giving apps access to your location for more accurate recommendations. — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 19 July 2026

Food delivery apps list Taylor Farms products available at Costco, Milam’s Markets, Aldi, Sedano’s and even gas stations like Wawa, 7-Eleven and Speedway. — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026

From fast-track security to game-changing wellness hacks, the new Priority Pass+ app promises to improve every airport trip. — Condé Nast Traveler, 18 July 2026

Watch Duty, a fire-tracking app used by millions, expanded earlier this year to help monitor floods. — ABC News, 18 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1981, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing app

• killer app

Rhymes for app

• cap
• chap
• clap
• crap
• flap
• frap
• gap
• hap
• lap
• nap
• nappe
• pap

Kids Definition

app

noun

ˈap

1

: application sense 6

2

informal : appetizer

Medical Definition

app

1 of 2 abbreviation

appendix

APP

2 of 2 abbreviation

amyloid precursor protein

Legal Definition

App

abbreviation

Appeals