open source
7 synonyms and 2 antonyms for open source, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adjective — Of software: released with its underlying code made publicly available under a licence that lets anyone read it, use it, change it and share their changed version.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. adjective technical
Of software: released with its underlying code made publicly available under a licence that lets anyone read it, use it, change it and share their changed version.
“We chose an open source database because we could read the code ourselves rather than trust a sales brochure.”
Opposites
2. noun
The wider practice and community of developing software in the open, with contributions accepted from people outside the original team.
“She got into open source by fixing a typo in a documentation page and never really stopped.”
3. adjective
More generally, of designs, hardware, data or research: published so that others may freely inspect, reuse and modify it.
“The lab published an open source design for the ventilator so hospitals could build their own.”
Opposites
How to use open source
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Standard in technology writing and increasingly used outside it. Often hyphenated when it sits directly before a noun: an open-source licence.
Etymology
A compound of open and source, from source code, the human-readable form of a program before it is compiled or run.
Full origin of open source →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between open source and free software?
Both describe software whose source code users may inspect and modify, and most programs qualify as both. The free software framing stresses users' freedoms as an ethical matter, while the open source framing stresses the practical benefits of collaborative development. The disagreement is largely about emphasis rather than about which programs qualify.
Does open source mean it costs nothing?
Not necessarily. The term is about the licence granting rights to the code, not about the price tag. Many open source products are given away, but companies also charge for supported builds, hosting or add-on services around the same code.
What is the difference between open source and source-available?
Source-available means you can read the code but the licence restricts what you may do with it, such as barring commercial use or redistribution. Open source licences allow use, modification and redistribution by anyone for any purpose. A project can publish its code and still not be open source in this sense.