widget

noun

wid·​get ˈwi-jət 

1

: gadget

2

: an unnamed article considered for purposes of hypothetical example

3

: a small software application that is designed to provide a specific piece of information (such as news, weather, or traffic updates) or a specific function (such as taking notes or controlling another application) on demand

This resource allows anglers to see what advisories are in effect in specific waterways … . The web page is optimized for mobile devices, with a widget that allows users to zoom to their exact location on the map with the press of a button.

—Chris Knauss

A widget might show you the weather forecast, or the latest baseball scores. There are widgets that show photographs you've stored online, or that cull images from the Daily Puppy Web site.

—Rob Walker

Synonyms of widget

• gadget

Examples of widget in a Sentence

manufacturers of all kinds of widgets for the do-it-yourselfer

Recent Examples on the Web

Over the last few years, home service operators were sold an explosion of AI tools—voice agents, chat widgets, follow-up bots. —Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 23 June 2026

Of course, movies and TV shows are not widgets and washing machines, and results of any finished product varies widely depending on a host of factors. —Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 18 June 2026

The widgets that are currently rolling out add sports scores, time zones, a focus timer, and a checklist, which are already some of my favorite new Firefox features in years. —Stevie Bonifield, The Verge, 18 June 2026

The hardware in the Porsche Communication Management module is much faster than before (Porsche says up to five times), and there are more customizable widgets and an onboard personal assistant. —Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 17 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

alteration of gadget

First Known Use

1924, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for widget

• digit
• fidget
• midget