Linux

American  

[lin-uhks, lin-ooks] / ˈlɪn əks, ˈlɪn ʊks /

Computers, Trademark.

1. an operating system, based on UNIX, that runs on many different hardware platforms and whose source code is available to the public.

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linux British  

/ ˈlaɪnʌks /

noun

1. a nonproprietary computer operating system suitable for use on personal computers

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Etymology

Origin of Linux

First recorded in 1990–95; named after Linu(s) Benedict Torvalds (born 1969), Finnish software engineer + x as in UNIX ( def. )

Example Sentences

Anthropic has offered a preview of its new AI model, called Mythos, available to about 50 companies and organizations that maintain critical infrastructure, including Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet-owned Google and the Linux Foundation.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

From Linux to Netscape Navigator, important software products were written by crowds of volunteers and distributed free to users.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

Essex said a reacceleration in software growth was encouraging, even as the government shutdown weighed on bookings and growth at Red Hat, the Linux software provider, which IBM acquired in 2019.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 29, 2026

Surfshark covers all the major platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Fire TV andApple TV.

From Salon • Dec. 10, 2025

At the moment, he had NT 5, NT 4, Work Station, Windows 98, and he and Eric had begun fooling around with Linux, the complex, open-source software system rapidly spreading across the world.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz