programming language

noun

plural programming languages
: any of various languages (see language sense 1c) used to create computer programs
Programming languages are the foundation of software development, allowing developers to create applications, websites, and systems through computer-understandable instructions.—geeksforgeeks.org
Most software engineers do far more than churn out code, designing products, choosing programming languages, troubleshooting problems and gathering feedback from users.—Steve Lohr
Maintaining the system is getting harder because it relies on a computer programming language (COBOL) that fewer and fewer programmers know.—David Zubler
compare assembly language, machine language, natural language sense 2

Examples of programming language in a Sentence

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Fixes for what are believed to be uncommonly severe vulnerabilities are scheduled to drop in a little more than 12 hours for PHP, a programming language that powers websites and Web applications everywhere. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026 Most web pages run using an open-source programming language called PHP. — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026 Security patches for the PHP programming language, widely used to build websites and web apps, have rolled out today, with the goal of fixing two critical vulnerabilities that could wreak havoc on the internet if left unchecked. — Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026 But perhaps the educational value isn't entirely about learning a programming language. — New Atlas, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for programming language

Word History

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of programming language was in 1959

Rhymes for programming language

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Browse Nearby Words

programming
programming language
program music
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Cite this Entry

“Programming language.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/programming%20language. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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