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
These robots, equipped with touchscreens and open-source software, allow global developers to expand their capabilities.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 May 2025
One way to do this is to play a simple open-source intelligence (OSINT) game together.
—Lawrence Cappello, Time, 2 May 2025
Security Tools Address Enterprise Adoption Barriers Meta released a suite of open-source protection tools aimed at addressing security concerns that often prevent enterprise adoption of AI systems.
—Janakiram Msv, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
Later this year, the competition finals will reveal the first, second, and third-place winners, who will receive $4 million, $3 million, and $1.5 million, respectively, provided they open-source their discoveries.
—Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for open-source
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Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 May 2025
One way to do this is to play a simple open-source intelligence (OSINT) game together.
—Lawrence Cappello, Time, 2 May 2025
Security Tools Address Enterprise Adoption Barriers Meta released a suite of open-source protection tools aimed at addressing security concerns that often prevent enterprise adoption of AI systems.
—Janakiram Msv, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
Later this year, the competition finals will reveal the first, second, and third-place winners, who will receive $4 million, $3 million, and $1.5 million, respectively, provided they open-source their discoveries.
—Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 30 Apr. 2025
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 20 May. 2025.
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