malware

noun

mal·​ware ˈmal-ˌwer 

: software designed to interfere with a computer's normal functioning

Examples of malware in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The employee using it was duped by a fake job interview, a favorite North Korean tactic used both to trick companies into hiring operatives and to trick individuals into downloading malware. — Alan Henry, PC Magazine, 6 Nov. 2026

Feeds identify malicious IPs, malware hashes or live campaigns, but cannot tell if these reach our systems, touch critical identities or expose business dependencies. — Jonathan Stewart, Forbes.com, 5 Nov. 2026

The hackers who stole billions of dollars in cryptocurrency from the Binance exchange spent months working on the theft and used both social engineering and novel malware in the process, the company said Tuesday. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 4 Nov. 2026

Look for software that offers real-time protection against viruses, malware, spyware and ransomware. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

malicious + -ware (as in software)

First Known Use

1990, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for malware

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

Kids Definition

malware

noun

ˈmal-ˌwer 

: software designed to interfere with a computer's normal functioning

Legal Definition

malware

noun

mal·​ware ˈmal-ˌwer 

: software that is designed to interfere with a computer's normal functioning and that can be used to commit cybercrime (as by revealing passwords, PINs, and other sensitive data)

Etymology

mal- bad + software