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operating system
noun
: software that controls the operation of a computer and directs the processing of programs (as by assigning storage space in memory and controlling input and output functions)
Examples of operating system in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The probe comes about 25 years after Microsoft fought a high-stakes antitrust battle with the U.S. government over the company's bundling of its internet browser and its Windows PC operating system.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2024
The Chinese are pushing the boundaries to 24 months and this includes new digital operating systems which in the West except Tesla no one has really figured out.
—Sarwant Singh, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024
The company faced an anti-monopoly lawsuit from the Department of Justice in the late ‘90s over the bundling of its web browser and Windows operating system.
—Lauren Feiner, The Verge, 27 Nov. 2024
At the time, US antitrust officials accused Microsoft of illegally bundling its Internet Explorer browser with the Windows PC operating system, a move that allegedly harmed competition by preventing rival browsers such as Netscape Navigator from gaining traction with users.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 20 Nov. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1961, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near operating system
Cite this Entry
“Operating system.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/operating%20system. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
operating system
noun
: software that controls the operation of a computer and directs the processing of the user's programs (as by controlling input and output functions)
More from Merriam-Webster on operating system
Nglish: Translation of operating system for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about operating system
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