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

Even companies that have the expertise to integrate AI themselves pay a premium to do so. Lita Global, for example, spends about $2,000 on AI every month, part of which goes to purchasing tokens for OpenAI’s application programming interface (API). —Bernice Ooi, CNBC, 26 June 2025

It is designed to allow AI agents to access and interact with external data, application programming interfaces, software tools and services. —Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025

To enable seamless data movement across hybrid environments, ensure that your architecture is built on open standards and application programming interfaces (APIs). —Sheila Rohra, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025

When doing so, pay particular attention to what software might have interoperability challenges or need an application programming interface. —Tom Dunlop, Forbes.com, 30 May 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