The definition for software

Nglish: Translation of software for Spanish Speakers. Britannica English: Translation of software for Arabic Speakers. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Log in Sign Up. Save Word. Definition of software. Examples of software in a Sentence Recent Examples on the Web The word was coined in by Gaby Rasson, then a high school student and now a year-old software developer.

First Known Use of software , in the meaning defined above. Buying Guide Our team at The Usage has selected the best laptops. Learn More About software. Time Traveler for software The first known use of software was in See more words from the same year.

Style: MLA. The aim of the IT software development process is to build effective products within a defined budget and timeline. There are six major steps in the software development life cycle, including:. Needs identification is a market research and brainstorming stage of the process. Before a firm builds software, it needs to perform extensive market research to determine the product's viability.

Developers must identify the functions and services the software should provide so that its target consumers get the most out of it and find it necessary and useful. There are several ways to get this information, including feedback from potential and existing customers and surveys.

The IT teams and other divisions in the company must also discuss the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities of the product. Software development processes start only if the product satisfies every parameter necessarily for its success. Requirement analysis is the second phase in the software development life cycle. Here, stakeholders agree on the technical and user requirements and specifications of the proposed product to achieve its goals.

This phase provides a detailed outline of every component, the scope, the tasks of developers and testing parameters to deliver a quality product. The requirement analysis stage involves developers, users, testers, project managers and quality assurance. This is also the stage where programmers choose the software development approach such as the waterfall or V model. The team records the outcome of this stage in a Software Requirement Specification document which teams can always consult during the project implementation.

Design is the third stage of the software development process. Here, architects and developers draw up advanced technical specifications they need to create the software to requirements. Stakeholders will discuss factors such as risk levels, team composition, applicable technologies, time, budget, project limitations, method and architectural design.

The Design Specification Document DSD specifies the architectural design, components, communication, front-end representation and user flows of the product. This step provides a template for developers and testers and reduces the chances of flaws and delays in the finished product. The next stage is the development and implementation of the design parameters. Developers code based on the product specifications and requirements agreed upon in the previous stages.

Following company procedures and guidelines, front-end developers build interfaces and back-ends while database administrators create relevant data in the database. The programmers also test and review each other's code. Therefore, installing new programs or applications on your computer is synonymous with installing new software on your computer.

Software can be difficult to describe because it is "virtual," or not physical like computer hardware. Instead, software consists of lines of code written by computer programmers that have been compiled into a computer program. Software programs are stored as binary data that is copied to a computer's hard drive , when it is installed. Since software is virtual and does not take up any physical space, it is much easier and often cheaper to upgrade than computer hardware.

While at its most basic level, software consists of binary data, CD-ROMs , DVDs , and other types of media that are used to distribute software can also be called software.

Therefore, when you buy a software program, it often comes on a disc, which is a physical means of storing the software. The definition of Software on this page is an original TechTerms.