collocation · neutral

open-source software

UK/ˌəʊpənˈsɔːs ˈsɒftweə/US/ˌoʊpənˈsɔrs ˈsɔftwɛr/O·pen·SOURCE SOFT·ware

Band 7+speakingtask2

Software whose source code is made available for anyone to view, modify, and redistribute under a license.

Examples

Many universities use open‑source software to teach programming because students can inspect the code.

Contributing to open‑source software is a good way to build a portfolio for a developer.

The company released the tool as open‑source software to encourage community improvements.

Band 8 sentence

Given the project's educational goals, releasing it as open‑source software enabled rapid community innovation and peer review.

Collocations

  • contribute to open‑source software
  • release as open‑source software

Word family

open‑source adjectivesoftware noun

Common mistakes

an open‑source softwareopen‑source software

open source softwareopen‑source software

Say it for a higher band

5free software6public software7+open-source software

Synonyms

free software

Easily confused

free software

Many users assume 'free software' always means they don't have to pay for it.

Related words

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In Technology & Internet

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