cross-platform
cross-platform — adjective
1. describes software, applications, or digital services that are designed to work
describes software, applications, or digital services that are designed to work on two or more different operating systems, devices, or platforms — for example, the same messaging app running on both an Android phone and a Windows laptop.
The game studio released a cross-platform version that works on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
attributive: cross-platform + noun (version)
Aarav plays Minecraft with friends on iPads and Xbox — the game is cross-platform.
predicative: game is cross-platform
Cross-platform tools like Flutter let developers build one app that runs on different operating systems.
The new chat app is cross-platform, so the Watanabes message each other from phones and laptops.
Sumin uses a cross-platform note-taking app to access her notes on both her work PC and phone.
- multi-platform
very close in meaning; 'cross-platform' is more common in marketing and everyday tech talk, while 'multi-platform' often sounds slightly broader (web + mobile + desktop).
- platform-independent
more technical register; used in developer documentation to emphasise that the software does not depend on any one operating system.
- compatible
broader meaning — not limited to computing platforms; 'cross-platform' specifies the type of compatibility.
- platform-specific
designed for only one operating system or device type, e.g. an iOS-only app.
- native
built specifically for one platform using its own tools — the opposite of relying on cross-platform frameworks.
文法句型
cross-platform + noun (attributive)
be + cross-platform (predicative)
用法筆記
Most commonly used attributively before a noun (a cross-platform app), but also natural predicatively after a linking verb (the software is cross-platform). Not used in comparative or superlative forms — a program either works across platforms or it does not.