Mobile App: Meaning, Examples, and Usage

Meaning 1：Mobile app (mobile app)

mobile app 🔊

/ˈmoʊbaɪl æp/

A software program designed to run on smartphones and tablets.

Person smiling at smartphone with colorful health and learning app icons

Mobile app 🔊

➕

/ˈmoʊbaɪl æp/

A software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet.

📁 Category：Technological Inventions 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Mobile from Latin 'mobilis' (movable) + app abbreviation of application.

💡 Mnemonic

Your phone is mobile; an app is an application for on-the-go use.

📖 Example

I use a fitness mobile app to track how many steps I walk every day. 🔊 I use a fitness mobile app to track how many steps I walk every day.

🔗 Collocations

mobile app development – the process of creating software for mobile devices

download a mobile app – to obtain and install a mobile application from an app store

mobile app store – a digital marketplace for discovering and downloading mobile apps

🔄 Synonyms

mobile application (n.) – a software program for mobile devices

smartphone app (n.) – an app designed specifically for smartphones

📖 Cultural Story

The term 'app' gained popularity after Apple's App Store launch in 2008, transforming how users access software on mobile devices. Before smartphones, mobile software was rare.