metaprogramming

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noun

The writing of computer programs that write or manipulate other programs or themselves as their data, or that perform operations at runtime that would typically be done at compile time.

OriginEnglish programming ← Ancient Greek μετᾰ- (metă-) →
UncommonScrabble 25
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Meanings

nounmetaprogramming (uncountable)
  1. uncountablecomputingThe writing of computer programs that write or manipulate other programs or themselves as their data, or that perform operations at runtime that would typically be done at compile time.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekμετᾰ́ (metắ)
  2. Ancient Greekμετᾰ- (metă-)
  3. Englishmeta-
  4. Englishprogramming
  5. Englishmetaprogramming

From meta- + programming.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Czech metaprogramování
  • metaprogramováníwriting of computer programs that write or manipulate programs as data
Finnish metaohjelmointi
  • metaohjelmointiwriting of computer programs that write or manipulate programs as data
German Metaprogrammierung
  • Metaprogrammierungwriting of computer programs that write or manipulate programs as data
Portuguese metaprogramação
  • metaprogramaçãowriting of computer programs that write or manipulate programs as data
Russian метапрограммирование
  • метапрограммирование (metaprogrammirovanije)writing of computer programs that write or manipulate programs as data
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: metaprogramming on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.