ex·e·cut·able
ˈek-si-ˌkyü-tə-bəl 
1
: capable of being executed
an executable plan/strategy
specifically, computers
: consisting of or containing coded instructions that can be run without using an assembler or compiler
executable code
A compiler needs to run only once, because it creates an executable file. —
Tom Campbell
Tom Campbell 2
: having execution (see execution sense 2) as a legal penalty : punishable by death
The report says that the scope of executable offenses is growing beyond internationally accepted boundaries.—Betsy Pisik
Betsy Pisik
plural executables
: a set of computer instructions (such as a program (see program sense 6a)) that has been prepared so that it can be run by a CPU without additional processing
Though it will no longer infect anyone, running a text file as an executable can crash the operating system.—Oliver Kaven
Oliver KavenThe [hacker] group relied on users' familiarity with the Windows folder icons and the File Explorer interface to dupe victims into running malicious executables.—Liam Tung
Liam TungExamples of executable in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Hrishikesh Joshi, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
Perhaps as fundamental as the birth of the IBM PC, the creation of Linux, or (for the more technically minded) the arrival of compilers that converted low-level software like machine code and assembly language into executable programs.
—Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 18 Jan. 2025
The sites were seeded with exploits that redirected visitors to page designed to upload a scareware executable called Amsecure.
—IEEE Spectrum, 12 May 2013
See all Example Sentences for executable 
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Adjective
Beyond typical corporate applications, LC/NC’s influence may expand into high-performance computing (HPC) and academic research, where executable papers and reproducibility are priorities.
—Hrishikesh Joshi, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
Perhaps as fundamental as the birth of the IBM PC, the creation of Linux, or (for the more technically minded) the arrival of compilers that converted low-level software like machine code and assembly language into executable programs.
—Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
Noun
The executable performs several environmental checks to analyze the device and avoid detection.
—Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 18 Jan. 2025
The sites were seeded with exploits that redirected visitors to page designed to upload a scareware executable called Amsecure.
—IEEE Spectrum, 12 May 2013
See all Example Sentences for executable
Dictionary Entries Near executable
Cite this Entry
“Executable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/executable. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
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