program

noun

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pro·gram | \ ˈprō-ˌgram

, -grəm

Definition of program

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 [Late Latin programma, from Greek] : a public notice

2a : a brief usually printed outline of the order to be followed, of the features to be presented, and the persons participating (as in a public performance)

b : the performance of a program especially : a performance broadcast on radio or television

3 : a plan or system under which action may be taken toward a goal

4 : curriculum

5 : prospectus, syllabus

6a : a sequence of coded instructions that can be inserted into a mechanism (such as a computer)

b dated : a complete plan for solving a problem by the use of a mechanism (such as a computer) that includes both instructions to be inserted into the mechanism and plans for human activities such as interpreting output

c : the genes or sequences of DNA or RNA that are part of an organism or cell and encode or determine a process, trait, or behavior … a mouse in which a tiny but crucial bit of the genetic program has been eliminated.— Bruce Fellman also : a process, trait, or behavior determined by or as if by the genetic material of an organism Orb webs are marvels of geometry and construction. They are built according to a complex behavioral program, which is highly flexible in some respects and very precise in others. — Michael H. Robinson

program

verb

pro·gram | \ ˈprō-ˌgram

, -grəm \

variants: or less commonly programme

programmed or programed; programming or programing

Definition of program (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to arrange or furnish a program of or for : bill

b : to enter in a program

2 : to work out a sequence of operations to be performed by (a mechanism, such as a computer) : to provide with a program

3a : to insert a program for (a particular action) into or as if into a mechanism (such as a computer)

b : to control by or as if by a program

c(1) : to code in an organism's program

(2) : to provide with a biological program cells programmed to synthesize hemoglobin

4 : to predetermine the thinking, behavior, or operations of as if by computer programming children are programmed into violence— Lisa A. Richette

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Examples of program in a Sentence

Noun a program of regular dental checkups the program will tell us the scheduled order of musical numbers Verb He programmed the computer to calculate his monthly expenses and earnings. She is learning how to program in school. Can you help me program my cell phone?

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The program is on track to deliver 2,400 fast-test machines and hundreds of thousands of test kits by mid-August, Giroir said, with the devices and supplies first going to nursing homes in virus hot spots. — Ricardo Alonso-zaldivar, The Denver Post, "Trump nursing home plan limits supply of free COVID-19 tests," 4 Aug. 2020 The program is available to students at four elementary schools in the district, which has more than 3,000 students. — Mallory Moench, SFChronicle.com, "A Peninsula school district is offering pandemic day care for working families. Not everyone can afford it.," 4 Aug. 2020 The program is focused on teen girls in grades 7-12. — Carol Kovach, cleveland, "Grab some face masks with your school supplies this fall: West Shore Chatter," 4 Aug. 2020 The office said the program is open to all residents. — Fox News, "Arizona sheriff's 'Citizens Posse' allows residents to be deputized," 4 Aug. 2020 The program has famously never been a member of a conference. — Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, "How college football conferences are handling their schedules amid coronavirus pandemic," 4 Aug. 2020 This program is so successful that South Texas holds 133 national advocacy championships. — Houston Chronicle, "Considering law school? Find one that offers real-world experience," 31 July 2020 The program is also part of the Surdna Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to providing social justice reform. — Shauna Stuart | Sstuart@al.com, al, "Southern-based artists working on social justice projects can apply for this grant," 30 July 2020 One admirer of Faizan’s mentorship program is Hashima Hasan, a renowned NASA scientist with a doctorate in theoretical nuclear physics from Oxford. — Rifat Malik, Dallas News, "Patently inspiring: An Irving scientist mentors young inventors — with impressive results," 29 July 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The Cleveland Museum of Art led the grant recipients locally with $505,589 to program arts activities. — Mike Rose, cleveland, "Ohio Arts Council awards more than $4 million in grants to Northeast Ohio artists and organizations," 4 Aug. 2020 The Tribeca Drive-in team will program the movies, which will run starting in August until October. — Coral Murphy, USA TODAY, "Walmart to turn 160 parking lots into drive-in movie theaters in August," 3 July 2020 Those collaborative filtering subroutines don’t program themselves (yet). — Owen Thomas, SFChronicle.com, "The advertiser boycott of social media is just the beginning," 1 July 2020 Some fly small jets or sophisticated turbo props could easily set up the airliner for an auto landing after talking with an instructor to determine how to program the flight management system. — John Cox, USA TODAY, "Ask the Captain: If both pilots become incapacitated, who can land the plane?," 13 June 2020 The hardware is very easy to use (and to program to brew at a specific time), even without reading the directions. — Elizabeth Wallace, CNN Underscored, "The best drip coffee makers of 2020," 12 June 2020 At six clubhouses around the city, in addition to extended day programming at more than three dozen elementary and middle schools, the Boys & Girls Clubs serve about 7,300 children in San Antonio. — Mike Finger, ExpressNews.com, "With doors closed, Boys & Girls Clubs still reaching out," 2 Apr. 2020 From lacrosse to football to swimming, the Milton City Council has approved agreements with outside providers for youth sports programming at city Parks and Recreation sites. — David Ibata, ajc, "Milton OKs agreements with youth sports providers," 26 Mar. 2020 Aaron Greiner, founder of CultureHouse, said his nonprofit has reached an agreement with the City of Cambridge and plans to offer a platform for arts programming at the kiosk. — BostonGlobe.com, "Cambridge landmark Out of Town News will vacate its iconic kiosk in Harvard Square by the end of the month, and a communal pop-up space will move in temporarily before the decades-old structure and surrounding plaza are revamped next year, officials said Friday.," 19 Oct. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'program.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.