a document stating the aims and principles of a political party
"their candidate simply ignored the party platform"
"they won the election even though they offered no positive program"
an integrated course of academic studies
"he was admitted to a new program at the university"
(computer science) a sequence of instructions that a computer can interpret and execute
"the program required several hundred lines of code"
A set of structured activities.
"The summer camp offered a program of swimming, hiking, and arts and crafts for all ages."
In plain English: A program is a set of instructions that tells a computer what to do.
"I need to watch my favorite television program tonight."
Usage: Use "program" as a noun to describe a planned series of events or activities designed to achieve a specific goal, such as a fitness program or educational curriculum. It refers to the organized structure itself rather than the computer code or a television show, unless those specific contexts are intended.
To enter a program or other instructions into (a computer or other electronic device) to instruct it to do a particular task.
"I spent all afternoon trying to program my robot vacuum to avoid stepping on the cat's litter box."
In plain English: To program something means to give it specific instructions so it knows what to do.
"I will program the washing machine to start at eight o'clock."
Usage: Use "program" when you mean to input specific instructions or code into a computer or electronic device to make it perform a task. Do not use this verb for arranging a schedule, as that should be expressed with phrases like "schedule an event."
The word "program" was borrowed into English from the French programme, which originally meant a written public notice or edict. This concept traveled through Late Latin and Ancient Greek before entering modern usage to describe a planned series of events or instructions for a machine.