firmware

noun

firm·​ware ˈfərm-ˌwer 

: computer programs contained permanently in a hardware device (such as a read-only memory)

Examples of firmware in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Then, check for a support timeline, the date of the most recent firmware update or any notes saying the product is no longer supported. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026

Theoretically, these modules can shut down their host devices and also collect large amounts of data since their manufacturers maintain remote access to provide firmware and software updates, the report said. —Filip Timotija, The Hill, 15 Apr. 2026

Companies have been developing modem firmware based on 3GPP specifications for decades, so there’s a lot of technical debt at this point. —Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 13 Apr. 2026

Yellow means Microsoft has a safety recommendation, which might point you to installing a firmware update to receive the new certificates. —Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 2 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for firmware

• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare
• compare

Kids Definition

firmware

noun

firm·​ware ˈfərm-ˌwa(ə)r 

-ˌwe(ə)r

: computer programs contained permanently in a hardware device (as a read-only memory)