Standard Lemma guide

antivirus

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈantɪvʌɪrəs/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AE2 N T IY0 V AY1 R AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A piece of software that is used to detect, delete and or neutralize computer-based viruses.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h2ent- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h2énts Proto-Indo-European *-i Proto-Indo-European *h2énti Ancient Greek ᾰ̓ντῐ́ (ăntĭ́) Ancient Greek ἀντι- (anti-)der. English anti- Proto-Indo-European *weys- Proto-Indo-European *wisós Proto-Italic *weizos Latin vīrusbor. Middle English virus English virus English antivirus From anti- + virus.

Across languages

Translations

35 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: հակավիրուսային (hakavirusayin) — computing software
  • Bulgarian: антиви́русна програ́ма (antivírusna prográma) — computing software
  • Bulgarian: антиви́русна (antivírusna) — computing software
  • Bulgarian: антиви́русен со́фтуер (antivírusen sóftuer) — computing software
  • Catalan: antivirus — computing software
  • Chinese Cantonese: 防毒 (fong4 duk6) — computing software
  • Chinese Cantonese: 防毒軟件 /防毒软件 — computing software
  • Chinese Mandarin: 防毒 (fángdú) — computing software
  • Chinese Mandarin: 防病毒 (fángbìngdú) — computing software
  • Chinese Mandarin: 殺毒軟件 /杀毒软件 (shādú ruǎnjiàn) — computing software
  • Chinese Mandarin: 防毒軟體 /防毒软体 (fángdú ruǎntǐ) — computing software
  • Finnish: virustorjuntaohjelma — computing software
  • Finnish: virustorjunta — computing software
  • Finnish: antivirusohjelma — computing software
  • French: antivirus — computing software
  • Galician: antivirus — computing software
  • Georgian: ანტივირუსი (anṭivirusi) — computing software
  • Georgian: ანტივირუსული პროგრამა (anṭivirusuli ṗrograma) — computing software
  • German: Antivirus — computing software
  • German: Antivirenprogramm (antivirus program) — computing software
  • German: Antivirensoftware — computing software
  • Greek: αντιιικό (antiiikó) — computing software
  • Icelandic: vírusvörn — computing software
  • Japanese: アンチウイルス (anchiuirusu) — computing software
  • Japanese: アンチウィルス (anchiwirusu) — computing software
  • Japanese: 抗ウイルス (kō-uirusu) — computing software
  • Japanese: 抗ウィルス (kō-wirusu) — computing software
  • Polish: antywirus — computing software
  • Portuguese: antivírus — computing software
  • Russian: антиви́рус (antivírus) — computing software
  • Spanish: antivirus — computing software
  • Swedish: antivirusprogram — computing software
  • Swedish: antivirus — computing software
  • Ukrainian: антивірус (antyvirus) — computing software
  • Welsh: gwrthfeirws — computing software
Real reading context

antivirus in complete knowledge articles