backward compatible

adjective

variants: or less commonly backwards compatible

Definition of backward compatible

: compatible with older equipment or previous versions of software Dolby Digital is backward compatible and supports earlier versions of Dolby such as Pro Logic. — Consumer Reports

Other Words from backward compatible More Example Sentences Learn More about backward compatible

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of backward compatible in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Most of the Xbox 360 games are backward compatible, and some are even enhanced for the latest Xbox One X hardware. — Tom Warren, The Verge, "Microsoft’s Xbox Black Friday deals include up to 75 percent off 500 games," 15 Nov. 2018 Naturally, both of these consoles will fully support existing backward compatible Xbox and Xbox 360 games, and of course Xbox One titles. — Tom Warren, The Verge, "Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox is codenamed Anaconda," 18 Dec. 2018 With individual power switches for port-by-port control and transfer speeds up to 5Gbps per port, these hubs all feature USB 3.0 ports that are backward compatible with USB 2.0 and 1.1. — Alexandria Haslam, PCWorld, "Amazon's awesome Sabrent sale will add up to 10 USB ports to your PC or Mac for cheap," 25 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'backward compatible.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about backward compatible

Dictionary Entries near backward compatible

backward compatible

backward-looking

backward masking

Statistics for backward compatible

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for backward compatible

The first known use of backward compatible was in 1975

See more words from the same year

Comments on backward compatible

What made you want to look up backward compatible? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

WORD OF THE DAY

apposite

highly pertinent or appropriate

Test Your Vocabulary

Time Traveler Quiz: Which Word Came First?

Which came first?

snarky sarcastic

Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

TAKE THE QUIZ

SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ