Software Meaning: Definition and Examples

Meaning 1：computer programs (software)

software 🔊

/ˈsɔːftwɛr/

Programs and applications that run on computers or devices to make them perform tasks.

computer programs 🔊

➕

/kəmˈpjuːtər ˈproʊɡræmz/

Software refers to the set of instructions, programs, and data that operate a computer system and perform specific tasks.

📁 Category：Technological Inventions 🔖 Level：elementary

📖 Root Explanation

Combination of 'soft' (malleable) and 'ware' (goods).

💡 Mnemonic

Think of 'soft' as the intangible part of a computer, like a pillow for data.

📖 Example

I use accounting software to keep track of my monthly expenses easily. 🔊 I use accounting software to keep track of my monthly expenses easily.

🔗 Collocations

install software – to put software onto a computer so it can be used

update software – to make software more current by adding new features or fixing issues

software developer – a person who creates and maintains software applications

🔄 Synonyms

program (n) – a set of coded instructions that a computer can execute

application (n) – a piece of software designed to carry out a specific task

code (n) – a system of symbols and rules used to write computer programs

🚫 Antonyms

hardware (n) – the physical components of a computer system

🌱 Derivatives

software engineer (n) – a professional who applies engineering principles to design and develop software

software development (n) – the process of creating software through programming and testing

software package (n) – a collection of programs bundled together for a specific purpose

📖 Cultural Story

Coined by mathematician John Tukey in 1958 to distinguish from hardware; first used in computing context.