abandonware

American  

[uh-ban-duhn-wair] / əˈbæn dənˌwɛər /

noun

1. old or outdated software for which the publisher has discontinued updates, technical support, or distribution.

   This Japanese RPG is so old it’s technically abandonware, but I still love playing it.

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abandonware British  

/ əˈbændənˌwɛə /

noun

1. computer software which is no longer sold or supported by its publisher

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Usage

What does abandonware mean? Abandonware is software that has been abandoned by the person or company that made or owns it, that is, the products are no longer being actively sold or supported.How is abandonware pronounced?[ uh-ban-duhn-wair ]What are other words related to abandonware?

• cloudware
• software

Etymology

Origin of abandonware

First recorded in 2000–05; abandon ( def. ) + -ware ( def. )

Example Sentences

What’s more, it’s not one of those cases where a company is still taking money for what’s essentially abandonware — the most recent release is WordPerfect 2021.

From The Verge

Apple came very late to the home screen widget game on the iPhone, but it’s already surpassed most of the crufty widget abandonware you’ll find from most Android apps.

From The Verge

What I found there was a gallery of abandonware, mostly apps from developers that haven’t been updated to be aware of newer devices.

From The Verge

That’s changed in the years since Windows 10’s debut, but the Store still feels like abandonware.

From The Verge

Facebook is shutting down its Moments app Moments has been abandonware for years now, which surprised me: you’d think Facebook would be motivated to hoover up as many of its users’ personal photos as possible, if only for the purpose of training machine-vision systems.

From The Verge