malware
noun
Simple meaning
Malicious software, designed to break into a system.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
malwerSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈmælwɛɹ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
computing
Malicious software, designed to break into a system
computing
Software which has been designed to operate in a malicious, undesirable manner.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
This meaning: Malicious software, designed to break into a system
Used this way, malware is a specialist word with a clearly unfavourable pull. This is a computing use: it carries a fixed technical meaning inside software and systems work.
- Emotional tone
- Negative
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Gentle
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Serious and weighty
- Usage feel
- Clinical and detached
Where it naturally appears
- Technology
- Technical/specialist writing
- Business/professional
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use malware
- “Always be careful when opening unknown emails, they could contain malware.”noun
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.