Phrase guide

computer virus

noun · 2 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

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A program which can covertly transmit itself between computers via networks (especially the Internet) or removable storage such as disks and USB drives, often causing damage to systems and data.

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

2

noun

Meaning 2

a software program capable of reproducing itself and usually capable of causing great harm to files or other programs on the same computer

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a true virus cannot spread to another computer without human assistance

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: virus

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: malevolent program

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

30 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: камп'ю́тарны ві́рус (kampʺjútarny vírus) — computer virus — see also virus
  • Bulgarian: компю́търен ви́рус (kompjútǎren vírus) — computer virus — see also virus
  • Chinese Mandarin: 電腦病毒 /电脑病毒 (diànnǎo bìngdú) — computer virus — see also virus
  • Czech: počítačový virus — computer virus — see also virus
  • Danish: computervirus — computer virus — see also virus
  • Dutch: computervirus — computer virus — see also virus
  • Esperanto: komputviruso — computer virus — see also virus
  • Esperanto: komputila viruso — computer virus — see also virus
  • Faroese: telduvirus — computer virus — see also virus
  • Finnish: tietokonevirus — computer virus — see also virus
  • French: virus informatique — computer virus — see also virus
  • German: Computervirus — computer virus — see also virus
  • Greek: ιός υπολογιστή (iós ypologistí) — computer virus — see also virus
  • Hungarian: számítógépes vírus — computer virus — see also virus
  • Icelandic: tölvuveira — computer virus — see also virus
  • Icelandic: tölvuvírus — computer virus — see also virus
  • Irish: víreas ríomhaireachta — computer virus — see also virus
  • Japanese: コンピューターウイルス (konpyūtā uirusu) — computer virus — see also virus
  • Korean: 컴퓨터 바이러스 (keompyuteo baireoseu) — computer virus — see also virus
  • Latvian: datorvīruss — computer virus — see also virus
  • Norwegian Bokmål: datavirus — computer virus — see also virus
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: datavirus — computer virus — see also virus
  • Polish: wirus komputerowy — computer virus — see also virus
  • Portuguese: vírus de computador — computer virus — see also virus
  • Russian: компьютерный вирус — computer virus — see also virus
  • Spanish: virus informático — computer virus — see also virus
  • Swedish: datorvirus — computer virus — see also virus
  • Swedish: datavirus — computer virus — see also virus
  • Turkish: bilgisayar virüsü — computer virus — see also virus
  • Ukrainian: комп'ю́терний ві́рус (kompʺjúternyj vírus) — computer virus — see also virus