user interface

noun

plural user interfaces

: software that is designed to allow a computer user to interact with the operating system of a machine or system (such as by selecting presented options or entering text commands)

Likewise, the user interface is remarkably unintuitive, requiring a whirlwind of relentless mouse clicking to move, talk, touch, look, or manipulate onscreen objects.

—Scott A. May

… a new user interface he vows will change the way people use computers.

—InfoWorld

especially : graphical user interface

—abbreviation UI

Examples of user interface in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Many systems are often difficult to navigate, with cumbersome user interfaces and features hidden behind opaque menus or hidden in system settings and preferences. —Ron Schmelzer, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024

Chatbots definitely aren’t dead, but AI companies are now acknowledging the format’s constraints and looking for ways to diversify their software to uncover novel, sticky user interfaces. —Reece Rogers, WIRED, 3 Oct. 2024

In mid-October, Activision plans to introduce a new user interface for browsing your Call of Duty games, too. —Jay Peters, The Verge, 15 Aug. 2024

The surge of these platforms in 2024 is democratizing UX design, allowing non-developers to prototype and iterate on user interfaces rapidly. —Goran Paun, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

user interface

noun

: software that is designed to allow a computer user to interact with the operating system of a machine or system

especially : graphical user interface