Standard Lemma guide

subroutine

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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  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S AH1 B R UW0 T IY2 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A section of code, called by the main body of a program, that implements a task.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

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

Examples

  • Holonyms: routine, program, app, application

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: function, procedure

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a set sequence of steps, part of larger computer program

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: routine, subprogram, procedure, function

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: software, software program, computer software, software system, software package, package

Narrower terms: cataloged procedure, contingency procedure, library routine, random number generator, recursive routine, reusable routine, supervisory routine, executive routine, tracing routine, utility routine, service routine

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *upó Proto-Italic *supo Latin sub Latin sub-der. English sub- English routine English subroutine From sub- + routine.

Across languages

Translations

59 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: دَالَّة (dālla) — a section of code
  • Arabic: وَظِيفَة (waẓīfa) — a section of code
  • Armenian: ենթածրագիր (entʻacragir) — a section of code
  • Azerbaijani: altproqram — a section of code
  • Belarusian: падпрагра́ма (padprahráma) — a section of code
  • Belarusian: фу́нкцыя (fúnkcyja) — a section of code
  • Belarusian: працэду́ра (pracedúra) — a section of code
  • Bulgarian: по́дпрограма (pódprograma) — a section of code
  • Chinese Mandarin: 子程序 (zǐchéngxù) — a section of code
  • Chinese Mandarin: 子例程 (zǐlìchéng) — a section of code
  • Czech: podprogram — a section of code
  • Dutch: subprogramma — a section of code
  • Esperanto: proceduro — a section of code
  • Estonian: alamprogramm — a section of code
  • Finnish: aliohjelma — a section of code
  • Finnish: alirutiini — a section of code
  • French: fonction — a section of code
  • French: procédure — a section of code
  • French: sous-routine — a section of code
  • Georgian: ქვეპროგრამა (kveṗrograma) — a section of code
  • German: Funktion — a section of code
  • German: Subroutine — a section of code
  • German: Unterroutine — a section of code
  • German: Prozedur — a section of code
  • German: Unterprogramm — a section of code
  • Greek: διαδικασία (diadikasía) — a section of code
  • Greek: υπορουτίνα (yporoutína) — a section of code
  • Greek: υποπρόγραμμα (ypoprógramma) — a section of code
  • Hebrew: תת־שגרה (tat-shigrá) — a section of code
  • Hungarian: függvény — a section of code
  • Icelandic: undirforrit — a section of code
  • Italian: sottoprogramma — a section of code
  • Italian: subroutine — a section of code
  • Japanese: サブルーチン (saburūchin) — a section of code
  • Japanese: 関数 (kansū) — a section of code
  • Korean: 함수 (hamsu) — a section of code
  • Korean: 서브루틴 (seobeurutin) — a section of code
  • Macedonian: потпрограма (potprograma) — a section of code
  • Iranian Persian: تابِع (tâbe') — a section of code
  • Polish: podprogram — a section of code
  • Portuguese: sub-rotina — a section of code
  • Romanian: subrutină — a section of code
  • Russian: подпрогра́мма (podprográmma) — a section of code
  • Russian: фу́нкция (fúnkcija) — a section of code
  • Russian: процеду́ра (procedúra) — a section of code
  • Serbo-Croatian: потпро̀грам — a section of code
  • Serbo-Croatian: potprògram — a section of code
  • Slovak: podprogram — a section of code
  • Slovene: podprogram — a section of code
  • Spanish: subrutina — a section of code
  • Swedish: subrutin — a section of code
  • Thai: ซับรูทีน — a section of code
  • Turkish: alt program — a section of code
  • Turkish: alt rutin — a section of code
  • Turkish: alt yordam — a section of code
  • Ukrainian: підпрогра́ма (pidprohráma) — a section of code
  • Ukrainian: фу́нкція (fúnkcija) — a section of code
  • Ukrainian: процеду́ра (procedúra) — a section of code
  • Vietnamese: chương trình con — a section of code