Meanings
nounoperating system (plural operating systems)
plural operating systems
- computingSoftware that is designed for controlling the allocation and the use of various hardware resources to tasks and remote terminals.
The operating system is the key mediator of access by processes within a computer system.
1959, United States, National Bureau of Standards, NBS Technical Note, page 55
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSoftware that is designed for controlling the allocation and the use of various hardware resources to tasks and remote terminals.
More synonyms by meaning
noun(computer science) software that controls the execution of computer programs and may provide various services
Similar
Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From operating + system. First use appears c. the 1950s.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans bedryfstelsel
- bedryfstelselsoftware which controls the computer
Arabic نِظَام تَشْغِيل
- نِظَام تَشْغِيل (niẓām tašḡīl)software which controls the computer
Basque sistema eragile
- sistema eragilesoftware which controls the computer
Bengali অপারেটিং সিস্টেম
- অপারেটিং সিস্টেম (opareṭiṅ śisṭem)software which controls the computer
Bulgarian операцио́нна систе́ма
- операцио́нна систе́ма (operaciónna sistéma)software which controls the computer
Catalan sistema operatiu
- sistema operatiusoftware which controls the computer
Chinese Cantonese 作業系統 /作业系统, 操作系統 /操作系统
- 作業系統 /作业系统 (zok³ jip⁶ hai⁶ tung²)software which controls the computer
- 操作系統 /操作系统 (cou¹ zok³ hai⁶ tung²)software which controls the computer
Chinese Mandarin 操作系統 /操作系统, 作業系統 /作业系统
- 操作系統 /操作系统 (cāozuò xìtǒng)software which controls the computer
- 作業系統 /作业系统 (zuòyè xìtǒng)software which controls the computer
Czech operační systém
- operační systémsoftware which controls the computer
Danish styresystem, operativsystem
- styresystemsoftware which controls the computer
- operativsystemsoftware which controls the computer
Dutch besturingssysteem
- besturingssysteemsoftware which controls the computer
Esperanto operaciumo
- operaciumosoftware which controls the computer
Estonian operatsioonisüsteem
- operatsioonisüsteemsoftware which controls the computer
Finnish käyttöjärjestelmä
- käyttöjärjestelmäsoftware which controls the computer
French système d’exploitation
- système d’exploitationsoftware which controls the computer
German Betriebssystem
- Betriebssystemsoftware which controls the computer
Greek λειτουργικό σύστημα
- λειτουργικό σύστημα (leitourgikó sýstima)software which controls the computer
Hebrew מַעֲרֶכֶת הַפְעָלָה
- מַעֲרֶכֶת הַפְעָלָה (ma'arékhet haf'alá)software which controls the computer
Hindi प्रचालन तंत्र, ऑपरेटिंग सिस्टम
- प्रचालन तंत्र (pracālan tantra)software which controls the computer
- ऑपरेटिंग सिस्टम (ŏpreṭiṅg sisṭam)software which controls the computer
Hungarian operációs rendszer
- operációs rendszersoftware which controls the computer
Icelandic stýrikerfi, stjórnkerfi
- stýrikerfisoftware which controls the computer
- stjórnkerfisoftware which controls the computer
Indonesian sistem operasi, sistem operasional
- sistem operasisoftware which controls the computer
- sistem operasionalsoftware which controls the computer
- sistem pengoperasiansoftware which controls the computer
Irish córas oibriúcháin
- córas oibriúcháinsoftware which controls the computer
Italian sistema operativo
- sistema operativosoftware which controls the computer
Japanese オペレーティングシステム
- オペレーティングシステム (opēretingu shisutemu)software which controls the computer
Korean 운영체제, 오퍼레이팅 시스템
- 운영체제 (unyeongcheje)software which controls the computer
- 오퍼레이팅 시스템 (opeoreiting siseutem)software which controls the computer
- 조작체계 (jojakchegye)software which controls the computer
Latin systema internum, systema operationis
- systema internumsoftware which controls the computer
- systema operationissoftware which controls the computer
Latvian operacionālā sistēma
- operacionālā sistēmasoftware which controls the computer
Lithuanian operacinė sistema
- operacinė sistemasoftware which controls the computer
Malay sistem pengendalian, sistem pengoperasian
- sistem pengendaliansoftware which controls the computer
- sistem pengoperasiansoftware which controls the computer
Māori pūnaha mahi
- pūnaha mahisoftware which controls the computer
Norwegian Bokmål operativsystem
- operativsystemsoftware which controls the computer
Polish system operacyjny
- system operacyjnysoftware which controls the computer
Portuguese sistema operativo, sistema operacional
- sistema operativosoftware which controls the computer
- sistema operacionalsoftware which controls the computer
Romanian sistem de operare, sistem operațional
- sistem de operaresoftware which controls the computer
- sistem operaționalsoftware which controls the computer
Russian операцио́нная систе́ма, операцио́нка
- операцио́нная систе́ма (operaciónnaja sistéma)software which controls the computer
- операцио́нка (operaciónka)software which controls the computer
Slovak operačný systém
- operačný systémsoftware which controls the computer
Spanish sistema operativo
- sistema operativosoftware which controls the computer
Swahili mfumo wa uendeshaji
- mfumo wa uendeshajisoftware which controls the computer
Swedish operativsystem
- operativsystemsoftware which controls the computer
Tamil இயங்குதளம்
- இயங்குதளம் (iyaṅkutaḷam)software which controls the computer
Thai ระบบปฏิบัติการ, โอเอส
- ระบบปฏิบัติการ (rá-bòp-bpà-dtì-bàt-gaan)software which controls the computer
- โอเอสsoftware which controls the computer
Turkish işletim sistemi
- işletim sistemisoftware which controls the computer
Ukrainian операці́йна систе́ма
- операці́йна систе́ма (operacíjna systéma)software which controls the computer
Urdu آپْریٹِن٘گ سِسْٹَم, اِشْتِغالی نِظام
- آپْریٹِن٘گ سِسْٹَم (āpreṭiṅg sisṭam)software which controls the computer
- اِشْتِغالی نِظام (iśtiġālī nizām)software which controls the computer
Vietnamese hệ điều hành
- hệ điều hànhsoftware which controls the computer
Welsh system weithredu
- system weithredusoftware which controls the computer
Cite this entry
APA
operating system. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/operating%20system
MLA
“operating system.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/operating%20system. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “operating system,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/operating%20system.
Source: operating system on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.