noun

compiler

kuhm-PY-luhr

Compiler (noun) means 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. Example: “The compiler refused to build the project because of a missing semicolon.”

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."

"Running the compiler takes about a minute on this machine."

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."

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"The compiler of the anthology chose to include three unpublished letters."

How to Use Compiler

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA program that turns the code a person writes into something the computer can run.

When to use it

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

Memory tip

The stress falls on the second syllable, as in the verb compile.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

interpreter → linker assembler transpiler

Common pairings

compiler error compiler warning run the compiler optimising compiler

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The _____ refused to build the project because of a missing semicolon.

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.

Origin: English

Synonyms

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build tool translator transpiler code generator editor collector assembler

Antonyms

interpreter

Related Words

voice guide editor dictionary collector translator commentator interpreter

Rhymes for compiler

boiler jailer mailer trailer spoiler retailer profiler Rottweiler blackmailer

See all rhymes for 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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