compiler

1 antonym for compiler — opposites grouped by meaning.

Noun — A program that takes source code written by a person and turns it into a form a computer can run directly, checking as it goes that the code makes sense according to the rules of the language.

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

A program that takes source code written by a person and turns it into a form a computer can run directly, checking as it goes that the code makes sense according to the rules of the language.

“The compiler refused to build the project because of a missing semicolon.”

build tool translator

Opposites

interpreter

2. noun computing

More broadly, any program that translates code from one language into another, such as one that turns a newer form of a language into an older one that more devices understand.

“The compiler converts the modern syntax into a version that older browsers can handle.”

transpiler translator code generator

3. noun formal

A person who gathers material from various sources and assembles it into a single work, such as a list, anthology or reference book.

“The compiler of the anthology chose to include three unpublished letters.”

editor collector assembler

Antonyms

interpreter

How to use compiler

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

compiler error compiler warning run the compiler optimising compiler

Standard technical vocabulary; the older sense of a person who compiles a book survives in publishing.

Etymology

From compile, via Old French compiler and Latin compilare meaning to gather or plunder, plus the agent ending -er; applied to software from the early decades of programming.

Full origin of compiler →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a compiler and an interpreter?

A compiler translates the whole program in advance and produces output that is run afterwards. An interpreter reads and carries out the code step by step as the program runs, with no separate translation stage kept on disk. Some languages use a mixture of both.

Does every programming language need a compiler?

No. Languages such as Python and JavaScript are traditionally run by an interpreter or a runtime rather than compiled ahead of time by the programmer, although those systems often compile parts of the code behind the scenes while running.

What is a compiler error?

It is a complaint from the compiler that it cannot translate your code, usually because of a mistake in spelling, punctuation or types. The program is not produced at all until the error is fixed, which is different from an error that appears only once a program is running.

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editor collector translator interpreter assembler

Nearby words

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