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
2
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
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

Examples of open-source 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.
Storage providers can implement these agents using Nvidia Blackwell GPUs, Bluefield DPUs, Spectrum-X networking and Dynamo open-source inference library. Thomas Coughlin, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025 Both watches are compatible with all Pebble apps and watch faces, thanks to that open-source OS. Emily Forlini, PCMAG, 19 Mar. 2025 As for the Disney and Google DeepMind partnership, the three companies will focus on an open-source physics engine called Newton, with the goal of enabling robots to handle complex tasks with more precision. Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2025 The Baidu models launched Sunday included the company’s first reasoning-focused model, and come ahead of plans to move toward an open-source strategy. Dylan Butts, CNBC, 18 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for open-source

Word History

First Known Use

1957, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of open-source was in 1957

Cite this Entry

“Open-source.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open-source. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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