: a code for representing alphanumeric information

Examples of ASCII in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Mark Davis, one of Unicode’s creators, attributes the lag to two things: Most pages were produced in a single language in the early days of the Web, and the available development software tended to rely on different encoding systems, such as ASCII. IEEE Spectrum, 28 June 2012 For 24 hours from Tuesday to Wednesday afternoon this week, Barbie played in the ASCII Theater. Amanda Hoover, WIRED, 1 Feb. 2024 For its latest project, ASCII Theater, the group will broadcast a popular new film daily in ASCII format that anyone can watch for free. Amrita Khalid, The Verge, 30 Jan. 2024 Meanwhile, users like reporter Alex Goldman have already begun mourning the impending loss of beloved bots, including bots that tweet everything from Boggle games to randomly generated ASCII night skies. Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 2 Feb. 2023

Word History

Etymology

American Standard Code for Information Interchange

First Known Use

1963, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ASCII was in 1963

Dictionary Entries Near ASCII

Cite this Entry

“ASCII.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ASCII. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

ASCII

noun
: a computer code for expressing numerals, letters of the alphabet, and other symbols
Etymology

American Standard Code for Information Interchange

More from Merriam-Webster on ASCII

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!