# malware

Pronunciation: say "MAL-wair" US /ˈmælˌwɛɹ/, UK /ˈmæl.weə(ɹ)/

## Noun

1. Software deliberately built to operate in a malicious, undesirable way.
   - Simple: Harmful computer programs made to damage devices, steal data, or cause trouble.
   - _Investigators traced the malware back to a server hosted overseas._
   - _The company's new firewall blocked several pieces of malware last month._

## Origin

Formed from the prefix "mal-" plus "-ware," on the model of "software."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/malware (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).