application programming interface

noun

variants or less commonly application program interface

computing

: a set of rules that allows programmers to develop software for a particular operating system without having to be completely familiar with that operating system

To fix this problem, trustbusters have installed a provision forcing Microsoft to disclose more information about its so-called application programming interfaces, or APIs.

—Business Week

—abbreviation API

Examples of application programming interface in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That case resulted in a 2001 court ruling that found Microsoft had violated antitrust laws and led to a settlement imposing restrictions on its business practices, including requiring the company to share its application programming interfaces with third-party companies. —Christine Clarridge, Axios, 3 Apr. 2025

Reflexive bots are coded to plug into a community’s application programming interface. —John Lalor, The Conversation, 21 Mar. 2025

What’s more, the JavaScript engine used is something called Node.js, and that provides for the use of a powerful application programming interface. —Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025

That gives the startup visibility into who is using its application programming interface, or API, and who is most active in their consumption. —Hayden Field, CNBC, 20 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for application programming interface

• abase
• airspace
• apace
• backspace
• biface
• birthplace
• blackface
• boldface
• bookcase
• braincase
• briefcase
• carcase