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

Ukrainian troops appeared to make small advances on Sunday but did not achieve significant breakthroughs of the Russian lines, according to open-source monitors. —David Brennan, ABC News, 6 Jan. 2025

Migrate To Open-Source Software Migrating to open-source software can reduce licensing costs while providing robust functionality for a wide range of business needs. —Expert Panel®, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025

The second draft included exemptions for providers of certain open-source AI models. —Ryan Browne, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2025

According to open-source ship tracking data, the Carl Vinson and its carrier strike group returned to the South China Sea on Friday through the Strait of Malacca and the Singapore Strait, following a departure from Port Klang on the west coast of Malaysia on Thursday. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1957, in the meaning defined at sense 2