app

1 of 2

noun

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 appsThomas McNamee

app

2 of 2

abbreviation

1
apparatus
2
appendix
3
appliance

Examples of app in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
As a precedent, the legislation’s proponents point to the 2020 sale of dating app Grindr by Chinese gaming company Beijing Kunlun Tech Co. to a group of U.S.-based investors, a transaction forced by the U.S. government over concerns about the privacy of the app’s users. Todd Spangler, Variety, 24 Apr. 2024 TikTok lobbyists—and hundreds of TikTok users—have been in Washington for weeks, making their case to keep the app running. Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2024 When Connecticut passed a law capping the fees the apps could charge, EarnIn stopped operating in the state. Cora Lewis, Quartz, 23 Apr. 2024 House lawmakers have argued that the app poses a national security threat and that the Chinese government could access American data. Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY, 23 Apr. 2024 It was also handed a May 3 deadline to respond to other questions about how the app plans to protect minors and the mental health of users. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2024 Image For sellers, the huge traffic to the app is the draw. Claire Fu, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2024 For example, by default, teens using its apps can’t received DMs from anyone they’re not already connected to and its apps show warning notices to teens who are already in contact with potential scam accounts. Todd Spangler, Variety, 11 Apr. 2024 The lawsuit further alleges that the apps replaced the intimacy of adolescent friendships for children and have promoted disconnection and disassociation, resulting in mental and physical harm. Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'app.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1981, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of app was in 1981

Dictionary Entries Near app

Cite this Entry

“App.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/app. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

app

noun
ˈap

Medical Definition

app

1 of 2 abbreviation
appendix

APP

2 of 2 abbreviation
amyloid precursor protein

Legal Definition

App

abbreviation
Appeals

More from Merriam-Webster on app

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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