executable

IPA/ˌeksɪˈkjuːtəbl/
IPA/ˌeksɪˈkjuːtəbl/

executable — adjective

  • executablepositive
  • more executablecomparative
  • most executablesuperlative

1. describes a computer file that has been prepared in a special machine-readable f

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

describes a computer file that has been prepared in a special machine-readable format, so that when you open or run it, the computer carries out the instructions inside it.

Example

After downloading the installer, Rafael double-clicked the executable file to begin the setup process.

executable file — a file that runs a program

The email attachment was an executable program, so the IT team warned everyone not to open it.

executable program — a potentially dangerous program type

Common collocations
  • executable file
  • executable program
  • executable code
  • executable permission
  • executable format
Synonyms
  • runnable

    less common, informal, mostly used in developer documentation

Antonyms
  • non-executable

    describes a file that cannot be run as a program, such as a plain text file

Grammar Patterns

executable + file / program

Usage Note

Almost always used directly before a noun such as 'file' or 'program' in computing contexts. The opposite is 'non-executable' (e.g. a text file).

Common Mistakes

I downloaded an execute file.
I downloaded an executable file.
'execute' is a verb; the adjective form is 'executable'.

executable — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three refer to computer files that can run on a machine, but they differ in technical level. 'Executable' is the most common everyday term — a learner downloading software sees 'download the executable' in instructions. 'Binary' is more technical and refers specifically to compiled machine-code format — developers use it to contrast with source code ('compile the source into a binary'). 'Program file' is the most general and least technical, but it is also vaguer — any file that is part of a program could be called a program file, even if it is not directly runnable. For example: 'The installer executable is only 2 MB, but the full program files take up 500 MB after installation.' In most situations, 'executable' is the safest choice for learners.

executable ↗binary ↗program file

Common collocations

Nouns

  • executable file
  • executable program
  • executable code

Phrases

  • download an executable
  • run an executable
  • save an executable to [location]

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Comes from the Latin word 'exsequi', meaning 'to carry out' or 'to follow through', which is formed from 'ex-' ('out') and 'sequi' ('to follow'). The word passed through French and into English in the 14th century as 'executen' (to carry out a plan or command). In the mid-20th century, with the rise of computers, 'execute' took on the specific meaning of 'run a program', and the adjective 'executable' was formed to describe files that could be run by the machine.