software as a service

noun phrase

: a subscription service that provides the management and maintenance of both software and data in the cloud (see cloud entry 1 sense 6) and that is accessed over the Internet typically through a web browser
… cloud-based software as a service has been a hot sector, but investors should remember that telecommunications companies are required to connect users with the cloud.—Claude Walker
a software as a service company/platform

called also SaaS

Examples of software as a service in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Most businesses rely on a growing stack of software as a service tools to support teams, workflows and day-to-day operations. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

2000, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of software as a service was in 2000

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Cite this Entry

“Software as a service.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/software%20as%20a%20service. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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