open-source
adjective
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
Steve Lohr2
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
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
Nick WatersExamples of open-source in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Kevin is a senior technology reporter at Ars Technica, covering open-source software, PC gaming, home automation, repairability, e-bikes, and tech history.
—Kevin Purdy, ArsTechnica, 31 Mar. 2025
What To Know On Thursday, Ukrainian open-source outlet DeepState posted on social media that between March 1 and March 26, Russian troops had carried out 17 percent more assault attacks than in the whole of February.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2025
Signal is an open-source service that allows users to send instant messages as well as voice and video calls.
—Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2025
But there are questions about how Alibaba will make money off open-source AI models that are free.
—Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for open-source
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Kevin Purdy, ArsTechnica, 31 Mar. 2025
What To Know On Thursday, Ukrainian open-source outlet DeepState posted on social media that between March 1 and March 26, Russian troops had carried out 17 percent more assault attacks than in the whole of February.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2025
Signal is an open-source service that allows users to send instant messages as well as voice and video calls.
—Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2025
But there are questions about how Alibaba will make money off open-source AI models that are free.
—Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for open-source
Cite this Entry
“Open-source.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open-source. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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