(computer science) written programs or procedures or rules and associated documentation pertaining to the operation of a computer system and that are stored in read/write memory
"the market for software is expected to expand"
Encoded computer instructions, usually modifiable (unless stored in some form of unalterable memory such as ROM).
"The developer spent all morning debugging a critical error in the new software before finally deploying it to the server."
In plain English: Software is a set of instructions that tells your computer what to do.
"You need to download some new software to fix the error on your computer."
Usage: Use the singular term software to refer collectively to programs and applications rather than counting individual files with numerals like 10 softwares. It functions only as a mass noun and should never be pluralized, unlike its physical counterpart hardware which can take an 's'.
The word software was coined in 1958 by John Tuque to distinguish the computer's programs from its physical components, or hardware. It is formed by combining "soft" with the suffix "-ware," mirroring the existing term for the machine itself.