program

noun

Save Word

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

Other Words from program Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about program

Keep scrolling for more

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 Brock, 53, a father of three from Grapevine, Texas, retired from the Air Force as deputy director of its admissions liaison officer program, which oversees personnel who recruit prospective military officers, the Air Force said. — Anchorage Daily News, "Two men who allegedly carried restraints into Capitol are investigated by U.S. counterterrorism prosecutors," 11 Jan. 2021 Elgin Bates said his program would be open to playing CBC if possible. — Tyler J. Davis, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan State commit Emoni Bates is almost eligible to reclassify. Here's what he is thinking," 10 Jan. 2021 Minnesota was also missing its leading scorer, with All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns sitting out as part of his injury maintenance program on the second night of a back-to-back. — ExpressNews.com, "Without DeRozan, Spurs run out of gas," 10 Jan. 2021 But its vaccination program has expanded in the past two weeks to senior care sites, and late last week started providing shots to first responders such as police and firefighters. — Robert Weisman, BostonGlobe.com, "Rural states leading the nation in early COVID-19 vaccinations," 9 Jan. 2021 The Indian government is also revamping its Skill India program, which aims to give skills training to 400 million people by 2022 to broaden their employment options. — Anuradha Nagaraj, The Christian Science Monitor, "Logging on to a new life: India's migrant workers get job skills," 8 Jan. 2021 San Jose State’s football team, which ended a dream season last week with a bowl-game loss and a cloud of coronavirus issues, now has 13 positive tests in its program, Santa Clara County officials confirmed Thursday. — Ron Kroichick, SFChronicle.com, "San Jose State coronavirus outbreak: 13 cases in Spartans football program," 7 Jan. 2021 In my view, the Obama administration was absolutely right to consider diplomacy with Iran on its nuclear program. — CBS News, "Biggest factor in U.S.-Middle East relations is perception that U.S. is withdrawing," 6 Jan. 2021 These include: The issuer also launched the ability in October to use its Membership Rewards program to Pay with Points on prepaid car rental bookings made through AmexTravel.com. — Julian Kheel, CNN Underscored, "New limited-time benefits added to American Express Platinum cards," 5 Jan. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb At Auburn, Cook learned to program and even created a system to improve the timing of traffic lights near the university. — William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al, "Apple CEO Tim Cook’s made $15 million last year," 6 Jan. 2021 The students were supposed to use their fourth-grade math skills to program spherical robots, small enough to fit in their hands, to move. — Washington Post, "Treehouse teaching and laundry art: Educators find creative ways to reach kids," 27 Nov. 2020 That role sparked her interest in politics when she was hired to program the 2010 campaign websites for now-Sen. — Marisa Schultz, Fox News, "Rep.-elect Nancy Mace still recovering from June coronavirus bout: 'I was really, really sick'," 21 Dec. 2020 Kjome and Robles spoke of l plans to program more composers of color; increase board diversity; implement a staff, equity and inclusion work group; and renew partnerships with Sphinx. — Elizabeth Nonemaker, baltimoresun.com, "Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s roster of 75 includes just one Black musician. Critics say BSO must do better.," 17 Dec. 2020 The working group designing CPL was not trying to program in CPL. — Richard Jensen, Ars Technica, "“A damn stupid thing to do”—the origins of C," 9 Dec. 2020 Both Moderna’s and Pfizer’s vaccines use a synthetic form of genetic material from the coronavirus called messenger RNA, or mRNA, to program a person’s cells to make many copies of a part of the virus. — New York Times, "Moderna Applies for Emergency F.D.A. Approval for Its Coronavirus Vaccine," 30 Nov. 2020 Your little one can use the bee’s input buttons to program up to 27 different movement patterns. — Lindsey Hunter Lopez, USA TODAY, "The 27 best gifts and toys for 2-year-olds," 7 Oct. 2020 Andrew Birgensmith, a co-promoter of the series, says the plan is to program two concerts a month and fill in the rest of the schedule with movies. — Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, "Some Phoenix music venues are reopening after COVID-19 closures. What you need to know," 21 Nov. 2020

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.