# Ousterhout's dichotomy

> English word · Proper noun

## Definitions
1. The tendency for high-level programming languages to fall into one of two groups: systems programming languages and scripting languages.

## Etymology
Introduced by computer scientist John Ousterhout.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/ousterhout-s-dichotomy