widget

noun

wid·​get ˈwi-jət 

1

: gadget

2

: an unnamed article considered for purposes of hypothetical example

3

: a small software application that is designed to provide a specific piece of information (such as news, weather, or traffic updates) or a specific function (such as taking notes or controlling another application) on demand

This resource allows anglers to see what advisories are in effect in specific waterways … . The web page is optimized for mobile devices, with a widget that allows users to zoom to their exact location on the map with the press of a button.

—Chris Knauss

A widget might show you the weather forecast, or the latest baseball scores. There are widgets that show photographs you've stored online, or that cull images from the Daily Puppy Web site.

—Rob Walker

Synonyms

• appliance
• contraption
• contrivance
• gadget
• gimmick
• gizmo
• gismo
• jigger

Examples of widget in a Sentence

manufacturers of all kinds of widgets for the do-it-yourselfer

Recent Examples on the Web

Embed Live Reviews On Your Website Partner with review platforms to embed live reviews on your website using widgets or APIs. —Expert Panel®, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025

There’s a widget filled with OnePlus apps that are mostly useful, including settings, weather, a calculator, and an audio recorder. —PCMAG, 13 Jan. 2025

The next version of my homescreen is going to be all widgets, no apps. —David Pierce, The Verge, 12 Jan. 2025

Up to six widgets fit in the Panoramic Vision band. —Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

alteration of gadget

First Known Use

1924, in the meaning defined at sense 1