open-source
adjective
1
a
of software
: having the source code freely available for possible modification and redistribution
an open-source operating system
b
: of, relating to, or promoting open-source software
the open-source movement/community
Instead, they opted for the open-source model, in which computer code is openly shared, allowing programmers to modify, improve and fix the software.—
Steve Lohr
Steve Lohr2
a
: publicly available for use by the community at large
open-source images
The team uses open-source materials such as obituaries in local newspapers and cemetery visits for its count.—Brendan Hoffman
Brendan Hoffman
b
: relating to or utilizing information that is publicly available
an open-source analysis
Since the advent of the internet, social media and smartphones, open-source intelligence has undergone a revolution as people willingly and publicly post vast amounts of information online. Actors outside of the traditional intelligence community have begun to take notice.—Nick Waters
Nick WatersExamples of open-source in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Tools like ClarityCheck envision the normalization of open-source intelligence (OSINT) for the everyday user, so verification isn’t just for professional investigators.
—Kaitlyn Gomez, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
The startup has announced previous models early in the calendar year, most memorably in January 2025 — when the launch of the open-source reasoning model shocked the stock market with its high performance and low cost.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 23 Feb. 2026
Chinese startup Moonshot, developer of the open-source Kimi model, raised $500 million earlier this year, according to local media.
—Angelica Ang, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2026
Those databases – GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA – are open-source services where people are informed that the information could be used by law enforcement.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
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Kaitlyn Gomez, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
The startup has announced previous models early in the calendar year, most memorably in January 2025 — when the launch of the open-source reasoning model shocked the stock market with its high performance and low cost.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 23 Feb. 2026
Chinese startup Moonshot, developer of the open-source Kimi model, raised $500 million earlier this year, according to local media.
—Angelica Ang, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2026
Those databases – GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA – are open-source services where people are informed that the information could be used by law enforcement.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for open-source
Cite this Entry
“Open-source.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open-source. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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