open source
Open source (adjective) means 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. Example: “We chose an open source database because we could read the code ourselves rather than trust a sales brochure.”
How to use open source
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSoftware whose recipe is published, so anyone can look at it, change it and pass it on.
Standard in technology writing and increasingly used outside it. Often hyphenated when it sits directly before a noun: an open-source licence.
Open source describes the licence, not the price. Some open source software is sold, and plenty of free-of-charge software is not open source.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
We chose an _____ database because we could read the code ourselves rather than trust a sales brochure.
Etymology
A compound of open and source, from source code, the human-readable form of a program before it is compiled or run.
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for open source
See all rhymes for 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.
What is the meaning of open source?
"open source" (adjective) means 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.