adware

IPA/ˈæd.weər/
IPA/ˈæd.wer/

adware — noun

1. a kind of computer program, often bundled with free downloads, that makes advert

1.nounC1
Definition

a kind of computer program, often bundled with free downloads, that makes adverts pop up on your screen while you browse or use other apps.

Example

Yael's laptop kept showing pop-up ads after she installed a PDF reader full of adware.

uncountable: 'full of adware'

The school's IT team scanned every computer to find and remove hidden adware last weekend.

collocation: remove adware

Common collocations
  • full of adware
  • remove adware
  • scan for adware
  • bundled with adware
  • adware infection
Synonyms
  • spyware

    related but stricter — spyware secretly collects user data, while adware mainly pushes ads.

  • malware

    broader umbrella term covering any harmful software, including viruses and ransomware.

  • PUP (potentially unwanted program)

    industry term for software users likely did not mean to install; adware is one common type.

Grammar Patterns

[adware] + on + [device]

install/remove + adware

Usage Note

Uncountable: never 'an adware' or 'adwares'. Often appears with verbs like 'install', 'remove', 'detect', and 'scan for', and with quantifiers like 'a piece of', 'some', or 'a lot of'.

Common Mistakes

My phone has many adwares.
My phone has a lot of adware.
adware is uncountable; do not add -s.
I downloaded an adware by mistake.
I downloaded a piece of adware by mistake.
use 'a piece of' or 'some' instead of 'a/an'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three describe unwanted software, but they differ in purpose and severity. Malware is the broadest term: any program written to harm a device or its user, including viruses, worms, and ransomware. Spyware is a narrower category — it hides on the device and quietly collects personal information such as passwords, browsing history, or keystrokes, often sending them back to a remote server. Adware is the mildest of the three; its main goal is to make money by forcing advertisements onto your screen, though some adware also tracks browsing habits to target the ads. In everyday speech, people may call any annoying program 'malware', but a careful writer keeps the distinctions: 'My computer has adware' (lots of pop-ups), 'My computer has spyware' (someone is watching me), 'My computer has malware' (something harmful, type unknown).

adware ↗spyware ↗malware ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • adware infection
  • adware program
  • adware removal tool

Phrases

  • a piece of adware
  • scan for adware
  • detect and remove adware

Prepositions

  • bundled with adware
  • infected with adware
  • free of adware

Etymology

English

A blend of 'advertisement' (or 'ad') and the '-ware' ending used for software, modeled on earlier coinages like 'software', 'shareware', and 'freeware'. The word appeared in the late 1990s as free internet downloads began to be paid for by built-in adverts, and it spread quickly alongside 'spyware' and 'malware' as users grew aware of the unwanted programs that came with such downloads.