app

1 of 2

noun

ˈap 

1

: application sense 3

a word processing app

especially : an application designed for a mobile device (such as a smartphone)

Health-insurance companies and government officials alike are drawn to the ability of smartphone apps to reach tough-to-access patients, to effect long-term lifestyle changes, and to do it all at a very low cost.

—Marcellus Hall

see also killer app

2

informal : appetizer

… the hidden video monitors that tell the cooks when the V.I.P.'s have finished their apps …

—Thomas McNamee

app

2 of 2

abbreviation

1

apparatus

2

appendix

3

appliance

Examples of app in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Meta apps like Instagram, Facebook and Threads are experiencing issues on Wednesday afternoon as error messages are being reported by people across the internet. —Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024

Since TikTok launched a feature that enables users to buy directly within the app, small-business owners, celebrities and major retailers have been livestreaming to boost their sales. —Andrea Chang, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024

But with the internet and various health-tracking apps, the onus is on you to take personal control over your daily habits. —Jon Bier, Rolling Stone, 12 Dec. 2024

Only a couple minutes of that is actually on social media apps. —Lauren Goode, WIRED, 12 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1981, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing app

• killer app

Kids Definition

app

noun

ˈap

1

: application sense 6

2

informal : appetizer

Medical Definition

app

1 of 2 abbreviation

appendix

APP

2 of 2 abbreviation

amyloid precursor protein

Legal Definition

App

abbreviation

Appeals