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Synonyms

compiler

American  
[kuhm-pahy-ler] / kəmˈpaɪ lər /
Rarely compilator

noun

  1. a person who compiles, or gathers things together.

  2. Also called compiling routine.  Computers. a computer program that translates a program written in a high-level language into another language, usually machine language.

compiler British  
/ kəmˈpaɪlə /

noun

  1. a person who collects or compiles something

  2. a computer program by which a high-level programming language, such as COBOL or FORTRAN, is converted into machine language that can be acted upon by a computer Compare assembler

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
compiler Scientific  
/ kəm-pī′lər /

  1. A computer program associated with certain programming languages that converts the instructions written in those languages into machine code that can later be executed directly by a computer.

  2. See more at programming language

Other Word Forms

  • precompiler noun

Etymology

Origin of compiler

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English compilour, from Anglo-French; Old French compileor, from Late Latin compīlātor; equivalent to compile + -er 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Our billionaire count is down and the combined wealth of those who feature in our research is falling," Robert Watts, compiler of the Rich List told PA Media.

From BBC • May 16, 2025

Edward Mathers worked as a crossword compiler for The Observer newspaper under the pseudonym Torquemada.

From Scientific American • Apr. 21, 2023

Boeing can hire an engineer in Bengaluru, India’s southern tech hub, for 7% of the cost of a similar role in Seattle, according to salary data compiler Glassdoor.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 17, 2023

A compiler turns code into ones and zeros so a chip can read them.

From Reuters • Mar. 9, 2023

I have steadily become a compiler of lives.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.