killer app

noun

: a computer application of such great value or popularity that it assures the success of the technology with which it is associated
broadly : a feature or component that in itself makes something worth having or using

Examples of killer app in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Advertisement For her, the new killer app is a very old one — playing great live shows. August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024 Some analysts suggest developing a 'killer app' capable of onboarding millions of users could be pivotal for Solana's future growth. Tyler Shepherd, The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024 Others emphasized that the tech wasn’t the issue at hand so much as the lack of a killer app or comfort. Victoria Song, The Verge, 14 Feb. 2024 Obviously, the killer app to hook in there is Gmail, and that hasn't happened. Lauren Goode, WIRED, 8 Feb. 2024 Meta could counter that by putting its money toward a killer app, something on the scale of Halo — which famously sold the original Xbox — or GoldenEye for the N64, or Zelda: Breath of the Wild for the Switch. Sean Hollister, The Verge, 26 Sep. 2023 The biggest letdown is there still doesn’t appear to be a killer app to take advantage of the Quest 3’s mixed reality capabilities. Chris Velazco, Washington Post, 27 Sep. 2023 This transformation gained momentum in 1455, when reading found its killer app in Johann Gutenberg’s printing press. A.o. Scott, New York Times, 21 June 2023 That, coupled with the lack of a killer app, suggest the Reality Pro will benefit Apple more as a reason to lure customers into the demo area at the company’s retail stores than as a business on the level of the iPhone. Casey Newton, The Verge, 2 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'killer app.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1988, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of killer app was in 1988

Dictionary Entries Near killer app

Cite this Entry

“Killer app.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/killer%20app. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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