open-source

adjective

ˈō-pən-ˈsȯrs 

1

a

of software : having the source code freely available for possible modification and redistribution

an open-source operating system

b

: of, relating to, or promoting open-source software

the open-source movement/community

Instead, they opted for the open-source model, in which computer code is openly shared, allowing programmers to modify, improve and fix the software.

—Steve Lohr

2

a

: publicly available for use by the community at large

open-source images

The team uses open-source materials such as obituaries in local newspapers and cemetery visits for its count.

—Brendan Hoffman

b

: relating to or utilizing information that is publicly available

an open-source analysis

Since the advent of the internet, social media and smartphones, open-source intelligence has undergone a revolution as people willingly and publicly post vast amounts of information online. Actors outside of the traditional intelligence community have begun to take notice.

—Nick Waters

Examples of open-source in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Godot, a free and open-source game engine, leans in that direction with powerful, no-cost 2D and 3D development tools. —PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024

Ukraine, the United States, NATO, and open-source satellites may not be able to differentiate whether Russia is transporting warheads for maintenance or security—or to a military base from which they might be launched. —William M. Moon, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2024

The company argues that American leadership in open-source AI is both economically advantageous and crucial for global security. —Tharin Pillay, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024

This view is built on standardized telemetry from diverse open-source sources. —Tom Wilkie, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1957, in the meaning defined at sense 2