open-source
adjective
1
a
of software
: having the source code freely available for possible modification and redistribution
an open-source operating system
b
: of, relating to, or promoting open-source software
the open-source movement/community
Instead, they opted for the open-source model, in which computer code is openly shared, allowing programmers to modify, improve and fix the software.—
Steve Lohr
Steve Lohr2
a
: publicly available for use by the community at large
open-source images
The team uses open-source materials such as obituaries in local newspapers and cemetery visits for its count.—Brendan Hoffman
Brendan Hoffman
b
: relating to or utilizing information that is publicly available
an open-source analysis
Since the advent of the internet, social media and smartphones, open-source intelligence has undergone a revolution as people willingly and publicly post vast amounts of information online. Actors outside of the traditional intelligence community have begun to take notice.—Nick Waters
Nick WatersExamples of open-source in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Apart from the fact that corporate buyers are struggling to find the ROI, the cheaper open-source alternatives do just as well.
—Bhaskar Chakravorti, Fortune, 7 June 2026
The open-source platform was created within X, formerly known as Twitter, in 2019 and endorsed by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey.
—Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 6 June 2026
Install the CrossPoint firmware, an open-source project that has become a huge hit in the e-reading community.
—David Pierce, The Verge, 6 June 2026
And even in Moscow, which open-source intelligence analysts say has been ringed by more than 100 air defense systems amid Ukraine's expanding strike campaign, the threat from Kyiv appears to be more present than ever before.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 4 June 2026
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Bhaskar Chakravorti, Fortune, 7 June 2026
The open-source platform was created within X, formerly known as Twitter, in 2019 and endorsed by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey.
—Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 6 June 2026
Install the CrossPoint firmware, an open-source project that has become a huge hit in the e-reading community.
—David Pierce, The Verge, 6 June 2026
And even in Moscow, which open-source intelligence analysts say has been ringed by more than 100 air defense systems amid Ukraine's expanding strike campaign, the threat from Kyiv appears to be more present than ever before.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for open-source
Cite this Entry
“Open-source.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open-source. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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