PC-compatible

Meanings

adjectivePC-compatible (not comparable)

historicalnot comparablecomputingOf a computer, offering the compatibility of the IBM Personal Computer regarding software, and―to a lesser degree―hardware.
Synonyms: IBM-compatible

nounPC-compatible (plural PC-compatibles)

A computer of this kind.
Most personal computers today use a 32-bit bus, but on PC-compatibles, the bus can also work in 8-bit and 16-bit mode.
1998, Douglas A. Downing, Michael A. Covington, Melody Mauldin Covington, “bus”, in Dictionary of Computer and Internet Terms, 6th edition, Hauppauge, N.Y.: Barron’s Educational Series, →ISBN, page 65
Synonyms: IBM-compatible

adjectiveOf a computer, offering the compatibility of the IBM Personal Computer regarding software, and―to a lesser degree―hardware.

Similar

nounA computer of this kind.

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Cite this entry

APA

PC-compatible. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/PC-compatible

MLA

“PC-compatible.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/PC-compatible. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “PC-compatible,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/PC-compatible.