firmware

noun

firm·​ware ˈfərm-ˌwer 

: computer programs contained permanently in a hardware device (such as a read-only memory)

Examples of firmware in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

De-duplication, lifespan analysis, and automatic HDD firmware updates could also disappear on non-approved drives, Synology's press release suggests. —Kevin Purdy, ArsTechnica, 17 Apr. 2025

Building System Integrity From The Hardware Establishing trust at the system level begins with ensuring that the foundation—both the hardware and firmware—remains uncompromised. —Camellia Chan, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025

Antivirus provider Kaspersky discovered the malware embedded in the phones’ firmware, which functions as a set of instructions to control the hardware components and boot up software. —Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 2 Apr. 2025

The firmware tweak also boosts power of the transmitter. —David Hambling, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for firmware

• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare
• compare

Kids Definition

firmware

noun

firm·​ware ˈfərm-ˌwa(ə)r 

-ˌwe(ə)r

: computer programs contained permanently in a hardware device (as a read-only memory)