open-source

adjective

ˈō-pən-ˈsȯrs 

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

Some companies do not allow employees to contribute to open-source software at all. —John Ellis, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024

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, Ars Technica, 18 Dec. 2024

In November, a group of visual artists, filmmakers, and graphic designers who received early access to Sora released a copy of the AI tool on an open-source platform and published a scathing rebuke of OpenAI, the company also behind ChatGPD. —Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 17 Dec. 2024

But Taylor Swift is the tip of the iceberg, and non-consensual deepfakes are proliferating widely—in part because open-source tools to create deepfakes are available publicly. —Arvind Narayanan, WIRED, 13 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1957, in the meaning defined at sense 2