What does "stateful" mean?

That supports different states, reacting to the same input differently depending on the current state.

Stateful

adj

adj ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adjective

1
That supports different states, reacting to the same input differently depending on the current state. not-comparable
"CORBA and DCOM are both stateful protocols. A user establishes a connection with the server and that connection remains in place during the entire session."
2
Full of state; stately. not-comparable, obsolete
"[T]o haue a generall timerous reſpect, obſerue a man, a ſtatefull ſcilence in his preſence: […]"

Antonyms

All antonyms

stateless

Example

More examples

"CORBA and DCOM are both stateful protocols. A user establishes a connection with the server and that connection remains in place during the entire session."

Etymology

From state + -ful. In the computing sense it is intended as an opposite for stateless.

More for "stateful"

Synonyms Sentences Pronunciation Translate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonyms See usage examples Check pronunciation Browse writing guides

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