Ousterhout's dichotomy

proper noun

The tendency for high-level programming languages to fall into one of two groups: systems programming languages and scripting languages.

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Meanings

proper noun
  1. computingThe tendency for high-level programming languages to fall into one of two groups: systems programming languages and scripting languages.

Origin

Introduced by computer scientist John Ousterhout.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Ousterhout's dichotomy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ousterhout's%20dichotomy

MLA

“Ousterhout's dichotomy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ousterhout's%20dichotomy. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Ousterhout's dichotomy,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ousterhout's%20dichotomy.

Source: Ousterhout's dichotomy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.