personal computer

noun

: a general-purpose computer equipped with a microprocessor and designed to run especially commercial software (such as a word processor or Internet browser) for an individual user

Examples of personal computer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The next disruption is autonomous agents The great technological leaps forward of the past—from the advent of the steam engine to personal computers and the internet—each empowered humans by augmenting their physical and computational capabilities. —

François Candelon, Fortune, 1 Dec. 2023 Smartphones and personal computers are about to get a lot smarter. —

Dan Gallagher, WSJ, 24 Nov. 2023 Importers will now need to apply for licenses in order to bring laptops, tablets, personal computers and other electronic devices into the country, according to a notice issued by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Thursday. —

Rhea Mogul, CNN, 3 Aug. 2023 China's share of U.S. personal computer imports fell to 45% last year from 61% in 2016, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. —

David J. Lynch The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 7 Aug. 2023 By the end of the original heyday of PLATO, however, personal computers were more than up to the task of providing the necessary level of technology, and PC software clients were commonly used. —

Cameron Kaiser, Ars Technica, 25 Oct. 2023 The first Industrial Revolution was powered by the steam engine, the second by the automobile, and the third by the Internet and personal computer. —

Foreign Affairs, 21 Aug. 2023 That’s helping offset a slowdown in orders for machines that produce components for smartphones and personal computers. —

Ian King, Bloomberg.com, 18 May 2023 Investigators urge individuals to avoid unsolicited pop-ups or messages in texts and emails and decline to download unknown software or give others remote access to personal computers. —

Robert Legare, Jeff Pegues, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'personal computer.' 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

1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of personal computer was in 1959

See more words from the same year

Dictionary Entries Near personal computer

personal best

personal computer

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Personal computer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/personal%20computer. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.

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