personal computer

noun

: a general-purpose computer equipped with a microprocessor and designed to run especially commercial software (such as a word processor or Internet browser) for an individual user

Examples of personal computer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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That’s cut into production of standard products used in phones and personal computers, meaning fewer of those mass-market devices are being built and the prices are going up. Bloomberg, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026 Leaving his role at Compaq — the largest personal computer company at that time — to work at Apple was risky because of the company’s financial struggles. Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026 Apple wasn’t the first company to make a personal computer, a smartphone, a laptop, a tablet, or a smartwatch. Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 20 Apr. 2026 The world's first personal computer According to Wired magazine, Hewlett-Packard was the producer of the first device in the world to be called a personal computer. Chris Anderson, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for personal computer

Word History

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of personal computer was in 1959

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Cite this Entry

“Personal computer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/personal%20computer. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

personal computer

noun
: a small general-purpose computer with a microprocessor

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