app

1 of 2

noun

1
: application sense 3
a word processing app
especially : an application designed for a mobile device (such as a smartphone)
Health-insurance companies and government officials alike are drawn to the ability of smartphone apps to reach tough-to-access patients, to effect long-term lifestyle changes, and to do it all at a very low cost. Marcellus Hall
see also killer app
2
informal : appetizer
… the hidden video monitors that tell the cooks when the V.I.P.'s have finished their appsThomas McNamee

app

2 of 2

abbreviation

1
apparatus
2
appendix
3
appliance

Examples of app in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
TikTok boasts a significant amount of usage relative to other apps. Todd Spangler, Variety, 18 Mar. 2024 With each app message, Eberhart, parked outside in a Ram truck, heard a noirish chime. Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 Despite the risks, budding foragers seem to increasingly turn to apps for help identifying mushroom species. Tatum Hunter, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024 This week, Lee pulled out his phone in between putts on the practice green at Griffith Park and scrolled through his contacts on KakaoTalk, the popular Korean messaging app referenced by Fink. Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2024 Musgraves says, pulling out her phone and opening her Notes app. Liam Hess, Vogue, 16 Mar. 2024 At my request, Webster opens an app to show me her actual eBay purchase history. Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2024 Since the beginning of February, Evans and his dad, Scott, have used an app with digital flashcards to review words for about an hour each day. Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024 What are Arizona's rules on short-term rentals? Unlike ridesharing or food delivery apps, getting started making money on Airbnb can be a bit more of a process. Marcus Reichley, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'app.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1981, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of app was in 1981

Dictionary Entries Near app

Cite this Entry

“App.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/app. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

app

noun
ˈap

Medical Definition

app

1 of 2 abbreviation
appendix

APP

2 of 2 abbreviation
amyloid precursor protein

Legal Definition

App

abbreviation
Appeals

More from Merriam-Webster on app

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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