spyware

noun

spy·​ware ˈspī-ˌwer 

: software that is installed in a computer or mobile device without the user's knowledge and that transmits information about the user's activities

Jan should scan her computer for viruses, worms, and spyware …

—Kenneth Baldauf and Ralph Stair

Smartphones belonging to more than three dozen journalists, human rights activists, and business executives have been infected with powerful spyware that an Israeli firm sells, purportedly to catch terrorists and criminals, The Washington Post and other publications reported.

—Dan Goodin

Examples of spyware in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Once it's installed, Stealerium is designed to steal a wide variety of data and send it to the hacker via services like Telegram, Discord, or the SMTP protocol in some variants of the spyware, all of which is relatively standard in infostealers. —Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 4 Sep. 2025

But the Biden administration placed the deal on hold due to a 2023 executive order restricting federal agencies from using commercial spyware involved in surveillance and human rights violations. —PC Magazine, 2 Sep. 2025

What The WhatsApp Flaw Means For You The WhatsApp flaw is serious, because spyware means business. —Kate O'Flaherty, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025

Just one click can compromise your credentials or install spyware. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1994, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for spyware

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

Kids Definition

spyware

noun

spy·​ware

ˈspī-ˌwer

: software that is installed in a computer or mobile device without the user's knowledge and that transmits information about the user's activities