-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
assembly language
noun
: a programming language that consists of instructions that are mnemonic codes for corresponding machine language instructions
Examples of assembly language in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Decades after the tech went out of vogue, the FDS still uses assembly language and 16-bit words.
—IEEE Spectrum, 6 May 2024
Because of his growing fascination with technology, at 16, Borkowski opted to attend a technical high school, pursuing a technical diploma in electronics and learning about components, soldering, and assembly language.
—IEEE Spectrum, 25 Feb. 2024
This was because the software had to be rewritten in assembly language to hit the much smaller memory targets, and assembly language programming took much longer to write.
—Jeremy Reimer, Ars Technica, 19 Jan. 2023
Because most viruses are written for Windows, reverse engineering them requires knowledge of x86 assembly language.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Feb. 2013
So goto came out of assembly language.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Mar. 2023
Enlarge / Comparison of assembly language for a generic CISC CPU versus a generic RISC one.
—Jeremy Reimer, Ars Technica, 23 Sep. 2022
Before high-level languages such as Python, Java, and Fortran were invented, programming was done in assembly language.
—Andrew Hudson, Ars Technica, 14 Mar. 2022
Reading assembly language books in middle school or programming BBS software in high school didn’t register, then, explicitly, as a salve.
—Craig Mod, Wired, 6 Apr. 2021
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Word History
First Known Use
1959, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of assembly language was
in 1959
Dictionary Entries Near assembly language
Cite this Entry
“Assembly language.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assembly%20language. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
assembly language
noun
: a code for programming a computer that is a close approximation of machine language but is more easily understood by humans
More from Merriam-Webster on assembly language
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about assembly language
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share