Added 9 October 2026
software
/ˈsɒf(t)ˌwɛə/ noun
In Latin: programmatura Coined: 1958, by John Tukey Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about software at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
Encoded computer instructions, usually modifiable (unless stored in some form of unalterable memory such as ROM).
Some software will only run on a particular platform.
- The human beings involved in warfare, as opposed to hardware such as weapons and vehicles.
- Recorded music content, as opposed to the hardware necessary for reproducing it.
Origin
Computing sense from soft + -ware, by contrast with hardware (“the computer itself”). Coined by John Tukey in 1958. The earlier sense of software to mean tangible products with a soft texture may have fallen out of common usage before the computing sense was created.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)