operating system

noun

: software that controls the operation of a computer and directs the processing of programs (as by assigning storage space in memory and controlling input and output functions)

Examples of operating system in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Six months of war and AI fever have added urgency to the rollout of Genesis, an operating system AIQ is pitching to energy companies. — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Overall, since releasing the first Fire TV product built on Amazon’s Vega operating system in 2025, the company has added over 2,000 apps, including Spotify, Xbox, VLC and a range of VPNs. — Todd Spangler, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026

An iOS Updater checks for operating system updates, something that iOS already does by itself. — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026

This is why institutional investors frequently pay premium valuations for businesses with strong operating systems. — Nicholas Pope, Forbes.com, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for operating system

• cryptosystem
• ecosystem
• intersystem
• multisystem
• photosystem
• subsystem

Kids Definition

operating system

noun

: software that controls the operation of a computer and directs the processing of the user's programs (as by controlling input and output functions)