COBOL

noun

CO·BOL ˈkō-ˌbȯl

variants or Cobol

: a computer programming language designed for business applications

Examples of COBOL in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Many of the world’s largest banks still run mission-critical workloads on mainframes written in COBOL or Fortran. — Adam Mills, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025 Major banks, governments and insurers continue to rely on COBOL mainframes written decades ago. — Don Schuerman, Forbes.com, 9 June 2026 Some 43% of core banking systems and 95% of ATM transactions still run on COBOL, a program that predates the year the Beatles got together. — Bhaskar Chakravorti, Fortune, 7 June 2026 American institutions are in many ways still adapting to the internet—the IRS still processes tax returns using COBOL, a programming language that was released in 1960. — Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for COBOL

Word History

Etymology

common business oriented language

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of COBOL was in 1960

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

cobnut

COBOL

cobola

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Cite this Entry

Style

“COBOL.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/COBOL. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

COBOL

noun

CO·BOL

variants or Cobol

ˈkō-ˌbȯl

: a computer programming language used especially in business

Etymology

common business oriented language

COBOL

noun

Examples of COBOL in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

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