Microsoft
4 synonyms for Microsoft, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — By extension, any company whose products or brand become so common that they dominate everyday use.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Etymology
A blend of "microcomputer" and "software," coined when the company was founded in the 1970s to sell software for early personal computers.
Full origin of Microsoft →Frequently asked questions
What does “Microsoft” mean?
The word “Microsoft” means by extension, any company whose products or brand become so common that they dominate everyday use. In plain terms, used loosely to describe anything that acts like the tech giant Microsoft, either in market dominance or in software style.
How do you pronounce “Microsoft”?
“Microsoft” is pronounced MYK-ruh-soft (/ˈmaɪkɹəˌsɔft/ in IPA).
How do you use “Microsoft” in a sentence?
Here is “Microsoft” used in a sentence: “Locals joked that the coffee chain had become the Microsoft of breakfast.”
What part of speech is “Microsoft”?
Depending on how it is used, “Microsoft” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “Microsoft” come from?
The word “Microsoft” dates back to around 1970. A blend of "microcomputer" and "software," coined when the company was founded in the 1970s to sell software for early personal computers.
Is “Microsoft” a common word?
“Microsoft” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “Microsoft” have?
“Microsoft” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: by extension, any company whose products or brand become so common that they dominate everyday use.
How is "microsoft" used as a general noun rather than the company name?
By extension, "a Microsoft" can describe any company whose products or brand become so common that they dominate everyday use. In this figurative sense the word stands for sheer market dominance rather than the specific firm.
Is "Microsoft" capitalised even in its figurative and verb uses?
Yes. Because both the extended noun and the verb depend on the brand name for their meaning, writers usually keep the capital M. Lowercasing it is non-standard.
Is using "Microsoft" as a verb formal or informal?
It is informal slang, typically used disparagingly in casual or technical conversation to criticise clunky design. It would not appear in formal writing about the company itself.
