software

noun

soft·​ware ˈsȯft-ˌwer 

: something used or associated with and usually contrasted with hardware: such as

a

: programs for a computer

accounting software

b

dated : the entire set of programs, procedures, and related documentation associated with a mechanical or electronic system and especially a computer system

c

: materials for use with audiovisual equipment

… television programs, music, and movies are now called software, by the way …

—Robert Bixby

Examples of software in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

BlackBerry, which is now a software company, reports after the bell. — Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 25 June 2026

This article was generated by the Bay Area Home Report Bot, software that analyzes home sales or other data and creates an article based on a template created by humans. — Bay Area Home Report, Mercury News, 25 June 2026

The letter also cites expert concerns that AI will help companies harvest student data for third parties and cultivate future generations of consumers through early dependence on such software. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 24 June 2026

Teachers, lawyers, software engineers, retirees, caregivers, physicians, nurses, business owners, and others signed up. — Manoush Zomorodi, STAT, 24 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for software

• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare
• compare

Kids Definition

software

noun

soft·​ware ˈsȯf-ˌtwa(ə)r 

-ˌtwe(ə)r

: the programs and related information used by a computer