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

Any tweaks would lie solely with the software that manages the engines, given engine hardware is locked in until 2027 under F1’s homologation rules. —Luke Smith, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026

There is a massive backlog of software engineering tasks that enterprises have. —Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026

This is an example of why AI coding agents are so potentially powerful, even in areas outside of software development. —Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026

Gadi Evron and other security researchers in December released a tool based on Anthropic’s Claude model to generate fixes for severe software vulnerabilities. —Sean Lyngaas, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 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