malware

noun

mal·​ware ˈmal-ˌwer How to pronounce malware (audio)
: software designed to interfere with a computer's normal functioning

Examples of malware 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.
Unlike Egnyte, IDrive Team lacks malware scanning, relying on versioning should disaster strike. Robert Anderson, PCMAG, 22 Jan. 2025 The deluge, directed at an unnamed Cloudflare customer, came from 13,000 IoT devices infected by a variant of Mirai, a potent piece of malware with a long history of delivering massive DDoSes of once-unimaginable sizes. Ars Technica, 22 Jan. 2025 It was comprised from a botnet of 13,000 devices taken over by the Mirai malware, according to Cloudflare’s blog. Kate O'Flaherty, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025 To thwart these attacks, a U.S. court authorized the FBI to delete the malware and to disconnect infected routers from a botnet without the owners’ permission. Adam Segal, Foreign Affairs, 21 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for malware 

Word History

Etymology

malicious + -ware (as in software)

First Known Use

1990, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of malware was in 1990

Dictionary Entries Near malware

Cite this Entry

“Malware.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/malware. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

malware

noun
ˈmal-ˌwer
: software designed to interfere with a computer's normal functioning

Legal Definition

malware

noun
mal·​ware ˈmal-ˌwer How to pronounce malware (audio)
: software that is designed to interfere with a computer's normal functioning and that can be used to commit cybercrime (as by revealing passwords, PINs, and other sensitive data)
Etymology

mal- bad + software

More from Merriam-Webster on malware

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!