Open source or opensource?
open source is an adjective meaning “Of or relating to software where the source code is freely available and…”; opensource is an adjective meaning “Alternative spelling of open-source”. open source is written as two words and opensource as one word; they are used differently.
What is the difference between open source and opensource?
| open source | opensource | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | adjective, verb, noun | adjective |
| Meaning | Of or relating to software where the source code is freely available and licensed in a manner that permits modification and redistribution Of or relating to digital resources made publicly available alongside their source files to enable their modification and redistribution To release the source code of, so as to permit modification and redistribution | Alternative spelling of open-source |
| Example | Linux is an open-source operating system | none recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈəʊpən ˌsɔːs/ /ˈoʊpən ˌsɔɹs/ | not recorded |
| In writing | not counted (the list counts single words) | about once in every 6 million words |
Sources: open source and opensource in the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Every current meaning of open source and opensource
open source
- 1
Of or relating to software where the source code is freely available and licensed in a manner that permits modification and redistribution
Linux is an open-source operating system
- 2
To release the source code of, so as to permit modification and redistribution
- 3
The practice of providing open-source code for a product
- 4
Alternative form of open-source
- 5
Of or relating to digital resources made publicly available alongside their source files to enable their modification and redistribution
open-source hardware (with editable CAD files)
- 6
Open-source software in general
His contributions to open source are numerous
- 7
Describing any product whose composition or method of manufacturing is public knowledge and not proprietary
open-source hardware (schematics provided for free)
- 8
Information that is in the public domain and available to everybody
opensource
- 1
Alternative spelling of open-source
Source: the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); obsolete, archaic, dialect and rare senses left out.
Which is more common, open source or opensource?
open source is a phrase, which the list of single words does not count; opensource about once in every 6 million words.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).