word processing

IPA/ˈwɜːd prəʊsesɪŋ/
IPA/ˈwɜːrd prɑːsesɪŋ/

word processing — noun

1. The activity of using computer software to type, correct, format, and arrange wr

1.nounB1
Definition

The activity of using computer software to type, correct, format, and arrange written words so that they can be printed as documents, saved as files, or shared electronically.

Example

Omar used word processing software to format his résumé before the job fair.

word processing software — most common collocation

Most word processing programs include tools for checking spelling and adjusting margins.

word processing programs — tool/application collocation

Common collocations
  • word processing software
  • word processing program
  • word processing skills
  • word processing document
  • word processing tools
  • do word processing
  • use word processing
  • word processing application
Synonyms
  • desktop publishing

    more specialised — focuses on page layout, images, and design for professional printing

  • text editing

    simpler — just changing the content of text without formatting or layout features

  • document preparation

    broader — includes any steps needed to produce a finished document, whether digital or printed

Grammar Patterns

word processing + noun (software, skills, program)

do + word processing

use word processing + [purpose]

Usage Note

Uncountable noun — you cannot say 'a word processing'. Use 'a word processor' to refer to the software or the device. In modern everyday speech, 'word processing' is assumed to mean the computer-based activity.

Common Mistakes

I bought a word processing for my laptop.
I bought word processing software for my laptop.
'word processing' is the activity; the software is a 'word processor' or 'word processing software'.
I need to do the word processing of this report.
I need to format this report using word processing software.
'word processing' is a general activity, not something you 'do' to a specific document.

2. The older meaning of using specialised typing machines — first purely mechanical

2.nounB2
Definition

The older meaning of using specialised typing machines — first purely mechanical, later computerised — to produce printed business documents such as letters, forms, and reports, before personal computers became common.

Example

Early word processing machines used magnetic cards to store a single page of text.

word processing machines — historical equipment collocation

The office manager ordered a new word processing system that could type letters twice as fast.

word processing system — technical equipment collocation

Common collocations
  • word processing equipment
  • word processing system
  • word processing machine
  • word processing technology
  • dedicated word processor
Synonyms
  • automated typing

    focuses on the mechanical process of typing rather than text editing

  • document production

    broader — includes any method of creating documents, not just typing machines

Grammar Patterns

word processing + equipment/system/machine

word processing + [noun phrase] + for typing/producing

Usage Note

This older sense is now mainly found in historical writing or discussions of early office technology. In everyday conversation, the modern computer-based sense (sense 1) is always assumed. The equipment referred to here would now be called a 'dedicated word processor'.

Common Mistakes

I use word processing on my laptop to type essays.' (when the speaker means modern software)
I use word processing software on my laptop to type essays.
The historical sense implies specialised hardware; for modern computers, use sense 1.
The company bought word processing in 1985.
The company bought a word processing system in 1985.
'word processing' as an uncountable noun cannot take an article; use a more specific noun phrase.

Word family

  • word processor
    nounB1
  • word processed
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While 'word processing' (noun/1) refers broadly to using computer software to create, format, and edit written documents, the related terms each highlight a narrower aspect. 'Desktop publishing' (DTP) focuses on page layout with images, graphics, and professional-grade typography for printed materials such as brochures or magazines — it is a more specialised skill than everyday word processing. 'Text editing' is the simplest of the group, involving only changes to the written content without formatting, layout, or graphics. 'Typing' is the purely mechanical act of pressing keys to produce characters, with no editing or formatting component. 'Document preparation' is the most general term, covering any steps needed to produce a finished document — from research to drafting to final formatting. For example, you might say 'I did some text editing on my colleague's draft,' but you would not say 'I did desktop publishing on a memo' unless you were designing a complex layout.

desktop publishing ↗text editingtyping ↗document preparation

Common collocations

Nouns

Etymology

English

The compound 'word processing' was coined by the German-American engineer Ulrich Steinhilper at IBM in the 1960s. He combined 'word' with 'processing' — following the model of 'data processing' and 'information processing' — to describe the use of automated typing equipment for producing business documents. The term entered general use in the 1970s as dedicated word processors became common in offices, and it later shifted to refer to software on personal computers.

First known use

1967

1967, in the meaning defined above