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

An Apple spokesperson said in March 2026 that the company was not aware of any successful mercenary spyware attack against an Apple device while Lockdown Mode was enabled. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Love them or hate them, data centers are now an election issue Receive an Apple push alert about spyware? — Greta Cross, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026

Thankfully, spyware is still very targeted at journalists, dissidents, government officials and businesses operating in certain sectors, but the net is widening, with criminals using the malware to attack businesses in finance and other industries. — Kate O'Flaherty, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026

So, for a country that seeks to protect its reputation, the large-scale use of a spyware program like Pegasus over the years is, in my view, damaging to its image. — Miguel MacIas, NPR, 16 Aug. 2026

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