Definition of software Show
: something used or associated with and usually contrasted with hardware: such as a : programs for a computer accounting software b dated : the entire set of programs, procedures, and related documentation associated with a mechanical or electronic system and especially a computer system c : materials for use with audiovisual equipment … television programs, music, and movies are now called software, by the way …— Robert Bixby Examples of software in a SentenceRecent Examples on the Web Tesla recently removed a rolling-stops feature with a software update, a move that drew fresh attention to how the company programs its vehicles in relation to traffic laws. — Reuters, NBC News, 1 Oct. 2022 Just picture an Alexa on wheels with large, cartoon-y eyes roaming around your home… Here’s what Astro will be able to do after Amazon rolls out its first major software update. — Alexandra Meeks, CNN, 30 Sep. 2022 Amazon is also planning a software update this year that will allow Astro to identify cats and dogs and automatically record videos of them, a feature users had asked for. — WIRED, 29 Sep. 2022 Thanks to an incoming software update, the Echo Show 15 — a big, wall-mountable smart screen the company started selling at the end of last year — will turn into a tiny TV of sorts, with support for Amazon’s remote control and streaming media apps. — Chris Velazco, Washington Post, 28 Sep. 2022 Tesla also said starting Sept. 13, vehicles in production and in pre-delivery received a software update that sets the power operated window function to the requirements. — Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 23 Sep. 2022 An online software update will fix the problem, Tesla says. — Chron, 22 Sep. 2022 Tesla will push a software update to recalled vehicles to fix the window-reversal system, the NHTSA said. — Irina Ivanova, CBS News, 22 Sep. 2022 Apple is working on a software update for the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max aimed at fixing a bug that makes the rear camera on the device physically shake when used with some third-party apps. — Mark Gurman, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2022 See More These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'software.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback. Updated: 08/16/2021 by  Sometimes abbreviated as SW and S/W, software is a collection of instructions that enable the user to interact with a computer, its hardware, or perform tasks. Without software, most computers would be useless. For example, without your Internet browser software, you could not surf the Internet or read this page. Without an operating system, the browser could not run on your computer. The picture shows a Microsoft Excel box, an example of a spreadsheet software program. Examples and types of softwareBelow is a list of the different kinds of software a computer may have installed with examples of related programs. Click any of the links below for additional information. Although application software is thought of as a program, it can be anything that runs on a computer. The following table also has a "Program?" column to clarify any software that's not a program.
Tip See our program definition for additional examples of computer programs. How do you get software?Software can be purchased at a retail computer store or online and come in a box containing all the disks (floppy diskette, CD, DVD, or Blu-ray), manuals, warranty, and other documentation. Software can also be downloaded to a computer over the Internet. Once downloaded, setup files are run to start the installation process on your computer. Free softwareThere are also a lot of free software programs available that are separated into the following categories.
Installing and uninstalling software
How do you use computer software?Once the software is installed on the computer hard drive, the program can be used at any time. On a Windows computer, a program icon is added to the Start menu or Start screen, depending on your version of Windows. How to maintain softwareAfter the software is installed on your computer, it may need to be updated to fix any found errors. Updating a program can be done using software patches. Once updates are installed, any problems that may have been experienced in the program will no longer occur. How is software created and how does it work?A computer programmer (or several computer programmers) write the instructions using a programming language, defining how the software should operate on structured data. The program may then be interpreted, or compiled into machine code.
When I save a document, is that file also considered software?When you create or edit a file using software — a Microsoft Word document, for instance, or a Photoshop image — that file is considered a software "resource" or "asset." However, the file itself is not considered "software" even though it is an essential part of what your software is doing. What was the first piece of computer software?The first software program that was held in electronic memory was credited to and written by Tom Kilburn. The program calculated the highest factor of the integer 218 = 262,144, and was successfully executed on June 21, 1948, at the University of Manchester, England. The computer that held that program was called the SSEM (Small Scale Experimental Machine), otherwise known as the "Manchester Baby." This event is widely celebrated as the birth of software. How expensive is software?The price for certain applications can vary widely. For example, there are games on Steam that go for less than $5 and advanced programs, such as Cinema 4D Studio, can cost more than $3,500. Application, Business terms, Computer abbreviations, External software, Firmware, Hardware, Maxwell Newman, Software Copyright, Software engineering, Software terms, System software, Ware |
