Meanings
nounshareware (uncountable)
- uncountablecomputingA type of software that is distributed without payment but is limited in any combination of functionality, availability, or convenience.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*(s)koréh₂
- Proto-Germanic*skarō
- Proto-West Germanic*skaru
- Old Englishsċearu
- Middle Englishschare
- Englishshare
- Proto-Indo-European*sem-
- Proto-Germanic*samþuz /*samftuz
- Proto-West Germanic*samft(ī)
- Old Englishsōfte
- Middle Englishsofte
- Englishsoft
- Proto-Germanic*warō
- Proto-West Germanic*waru
- Old Englishwaru
- Middle Englishware
- Englishsoftwarebf.
- Englishshareware
From share + -ware. Popularized by Bob Wallace
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 共享軟件 /共享软件, 共享軟體 /共享软体
- 共享軟件 /共享软件 (gòngxiǎng ruǎnjiàn)type of software
- 共享軟體 /共享软体 (gòngxiǎng ruǎntǐ)type of software
Dutch shareware
- sharewaretype of software
French shareware, partagiciel
- sharewaretype of software
- partagicieltype of software
- contributieltype of software
German Shareware
- Sharewaretype of software
Indonesian peranti kongsi
- peranti kongsitype of software
Japanese シェアウェア
- シェアウェア (sheawea)type of software
Korean 셰어웨어
- 셰어웨어 (syeeoweeo)type of software
Malay perisian kongsi
- perisian kongsitype of software
Portuguese shareware, programa de utilização limitada
- sharewaretype of software
- programa de utilização limitadatype of software
- programa de utilização condicionadatype of software
- programa de utilização restritatype of software
Russian усло́вно-беспла́тное ПО
- усло́вно-беспла́тное ПО (uslóvno-besplátnoje PO)type of software
Swedish spridprogram
- spridprogramtype of software
Turkish deneme yazılımı
- deneme yazılımıtype of software
Cite this entry
APA
shareware. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shareware
MLA
“shareware.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shareware. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shareware,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shareware.
Source: shareware on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.