Adware

//ˈædˌwɛə// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A software application that includes advertisements, which are displayed while the software is running. Developers use adware as a source of income and to keep the costs of the software down (usually making it free). Some adware programs can include spyware. uncountable

Etymology

From ad + -ware.

Related phrases

free softwareopen source softwarepublic domain software

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.