app

1 of 2

noun

ˈap 

1

: application sense 3

a word processing app

especially : an application designed for a mobile device (such as a smartphone)

Health-insurance companies and government officials alike are drawn to the ability of smartphone apps to reach tough-to-access patients, to effect long-term lifestyle changes, and to do it all at a very low cost.

—Marcellus Hall

see also killer app

2

informal : appetizer

… the hidden video monitors that tell the cooks when the V.I.P.'s have finished their apps …

—Thomas McNamee

app

2 of 2

abbreviation

1

apparatus

2

appendix

3

appliance

Examples of app in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Flexible layouts adapt apps to the unfolded screen, making multitasking feel more natural. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Jan. 2026

While most of us have the Notes app on our smartphones and laptops, those entries can easily get lost among countless open tabs. —Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 6 Jan. 2026

Download Apple Invites from the App Store First, install the Apple Invites app. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Jan. 2026

Apple AirTags are essentially mini GPS tracking devices that sync directly to your iPhone’s Find My app, which displays location info on your phone. —Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 6 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1981, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing app

• killer app

Rhymes for app

• cap
• chap
• clap
• crap
• flap
• frap
• gap
• hap
• lap
• nap
• nappe
• pap

Kids Definition

app

noun

ˈap

1

: application sense 6

2

informal : appetizer

Medical Definition

app

1 of 2 abbreviation

appendix

APP

2 of 2 abbreviation

amyloid precursor protein

Legal Definition

App

abbreviation

Appeals