Emacs

//ˈiːmæks// name, noun

name, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Any implementation or reimplementation of Emacs.
  2. 2
    plural of eMac form-of, plural
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A particular visual or WYSIWYG text editor (first written by Richard Stallman in 1975 but since reimplemented by others in several distinct versions), distinguished by its use of control characters as editing commands, by its lack of distinct "insert" and "edit" modes, and by its featurefulness and extensibility.

    ""Emacs was initially a text editor," says Stallman, explaining the getup. "Eventually it became a way of life for many and a religion for some. We call this religion the Church of Emacs.""

Example

More examples

"Does using Emacs (which is probably easy for you) cause you to have weak fingers?"

Etymology

Blend of editor + macros.

Related phrases

control charactertext editor

More for "emacs"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

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