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Showing results for user-friendly. Search instead for computer-friendly.
Synonyms

user-friendly

American  
[yoo-zer-frend-lee] / ˈyu zərˈfrɛnd li /

adjective

  1. easy to use, operate, understand, etc..

    the most user-friendly personal computer now on the market.
user-friendly British  

adjective

  1. easy to use or understand

    a user-friendly dictionary

  2. (of a computer system) easily operated and understood by means of a straightforward guide in jargon-free language

"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

Other Word Forms

  • user-friendliness noun

Etymology

Origin of user-friendly

First recorded in 1980–85

Explanation

A gadget that is user-friendly is easy to use. User-friendly devices can be used quickly, even if you haven't used anything like it before. Have you ever tried to use something like a video camera and had a hard time figuring out how to use it, even after reading the instructions? Devices that are difficult to use are not user-friendly. A user-friendly device is easy to figure out. The designer has thought about how a new user would approach it and has made the experience simple. Just about anyone can pick a user-friendly device up and start using it.

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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.

To be clear, user-friendly design and usability principles have indeed transformed the world for the better in many ways, and to an incredible degree.

From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026

Its one-click interface works seamlessly across all devices, making it the most reliable, user-friendly option for streaming and restrictive environments.

From Salon • Mar. 30, 2026

However, Ghana reached a roadblock in its plans to reconnect with the diaspora, announcing it was pausing its citizenship applications as it needed to make the system more accessible and user-friendly.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

Modern options can be attractive—or at least unobtrusive—enough to leave draped over a sofa or chair, and they feature user-friendly timers and detachable, machine-washable fabrics.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

Dirt is the working layer of earth, and dealing with dirt is as much a part of farm life as dealing with manure: Neither is user-friendly but both are necessary.

From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg

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.