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
Guardian is an open-source platform that facilitates auditable, traceable and reproducible records that document the process and lifecycle of environmental assets.
—Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 30 May 2025
In a lab, or a startup, or through open-source communities, a model emerges that surpasses human cognition across a wide range of domains.
—Robert B. Tucker, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
What To Know Damien Symon, an open-source intelligence expert, posted a satellite image on X (formerly Twitter) showing the Liaoning underway in the Philippine Sea, approximately 430 nautical miles (494 miles) southeast of Taiwan, accompanied by two escorting ships on Wednesday.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
For the most part, open-source projects weren’t evenly distributed across teams of volunteers; they were managed by at most a few individuals, who spent the bulk of their waking hours in abject thrall to a user-complaint queue.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for open-source
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.
Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 30 May 2025
In a lab, or a startup, or through open-source communities, a model emerges that surpasses human cognition across a wide range of domains.
—Robert B. Tucker, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
What To Know Damien Symon, an open-source intelligence expert, posted a satellite image on X (formerly Twitter) showing the Liaoning underway in the Philippine Sea, approximately 430 nautical miles (494 miles) southeast of Taiwan, accompanied by two escorting ships on Wednesday.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
For the most part, open-source projects weren’t evenly distributed across teams of volunteers; they were managed by at most a few individuals, who spent the bulk of their waking hours in abject thrall to a user-complaint queue.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 28 May 2025
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 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share