: software designed to interfere with a computer's normal functioning
Examples of malware in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Worse still, some unsubscribe links are malicious traps designed to steal personal information or distribute malware.
—
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2025
To compromise some of the devices, the creators of the botnet initially breached an update server for a router manufacturer called Totolink to distribute malware.
—Senior Reporter, PC Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025
Its malware generally aims to collect as much information from targets as possible over a short period of time.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 19 Sep. 2025
Just last month, Anthropic warned that Claude had been used in real-world cyberattacks, helping code malware and craft phishing emails.
—Thomas Brewster, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malware
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Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2025
To compromise some of the devices, the creators of the botnet initially breached an update server for a router manufacturer called Totolink to distribute malware.
—Senior Reporter, PC Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025
Its malware generally aims to collect as much information from targets as possible over a short period of time.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 19 Sep. 2025
Just last month, Anthropic warned that Claude had been used in real-world cyberattacks, helping code malware and craft phishing emails.
—Thomas Brewster, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malware
Cite this Entry
“Malware.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/malware. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal 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
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