open-source

adjective

ˈō-pən-ˈsȯrs 

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

2

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

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

Examples of open-source in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Anthropic will allocate $4 million in direct donations to open-source security organizations, alongside $100 million in funding for Mythos Preview usage credits, which the brands can use to help find flaws that are difficult for humans to spot. —Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 8 Apr. 2026

The standard is open-source and available on GitHub via T54 Labs. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2026

Highly capable open-source models continue to proliferate in China, and many in the industry are watching closely for a major upgrade to DeepSeek’s model. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026

The group’s data is compiled through field reports, local contacts and open-source materials, according to its website. —Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for open-source

• counterforce
• intercourse
• nonrecourse
• reinforce
• watercourse
• bourse
• coarse
• course
• force
• gorse
• hoarse
• horse