type system

noun

A way programming language classifies values and expressions into types (data types), how it can manipulate those types, and how they interact.

“Meronyms: types, data types; built-in type, primitive type, composite type, abstract type, abstract data type, algebraic data type, reference type, existential type, intersection type, linear type, union type”

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Meanings

nountype system (plural type systems)

plural type systems

  1. computingA way programming language classifies values and expressions into types (data types), how it can manipulate those types, and how they interact.

    Meronyms: types, data types; built-in type, primitive type, composite type, abstract type, abstract data type, algebraic data type, reference type, existential type, intersection type, linear type, union type

    1 more example

    OCaml’s big selling point is its “type system,” which is something like Microsoft Word’s grammar checker, except that instead of just putting a squiggly green line underneath code it thinks is wrong, it won’t let you run it.

    2015 April 2, James Somers, “Toolkits for the Mind”, in MIT Technology Review

Translations

Finnish tyyppijärjestelmä
  • tyyppijärjestelmätype system of a programming language
German Typsystem
  • Typsystemtype system of a programming language
Greek σύστημα τύπων
  • σύστημα τύπων (sýstima týpon)type system of a programming language
Polish system typów
  • system typówtype system of a programming language
Cite this entry
APA

type system. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/type%20system

MLA

“type system.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/type%20system. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “type system,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/type%20system.

Source: type system on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.