spyware

spyware — noun

1. a harmful program placed on computers or phones without warning, used to gather

1.nounB2
Definition

a harmful program placed on computers or phones without warning, used to gather private data such as passwords by secretly watching what the user does.

Example

Asher discovered spyware on his laptop after strange ads started appearing in his browser.

collocation: spyware on [device]

The hospital's security team found spyware that had been recording patient records for months.

passive construction: spyware that had been [verb+ing]

Common collocations
  • spyware on [device]
  • detect/remove spyware
  • contain spyware
  • install spyware
  • download spyware
  • spyware infection
  • spyware attack
Synonyms
  • malware

    broader category; spyware is a type of malware that collects data

  • tracking software

    less common; describes the function without the negative connotation

  • monitoring software

    neutral term; can refer to spyware or legitimate parental-control tools

Grammar Patterns

spyware on [device]

detect / remove spyware

contain / install spyware

Usage Note

Uncountable — do not write 'a spyware' or 'spywares'. For a single instance, use 'a piece of spyware' or 'a spyware program'. Frequently used attributively (e.g., 'spyware infection', 'spyware attack').

Common Mistakes

I found a spyware on my phone.
I found spyware on my phone.
spyware is uncountable; no articles or plural forms.
My computer has many spywares.
My computer has several pieces of spyware.
use 'pieces of spyware' for multiple instances.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These three terms all refer to harmful or unwanted software, but they differ in purpose and scope. Spyware is software that secretly monitors a user's activity and collects personal data — it is always covert by nature. Malware (short for 'malicious software') is the broadest category, covering any software designed to harm or exploit, including viruses, ransomware, worms, and spyware itself. Adware displays unwanted advertisements on a device; while some adware is merely annoying and not truly harmful, other adware behaves like spyware by tracking browsing habits to target ads. In short: all spyware is malware, but not all malware is spyware; and adware may or may not include spying functions.

spyware ↗malwareadware ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • piece of spyware
  • spyware on a device
  • infected with spyware

Prepositions

Etymology

Old FrenchEnglish

A blend of 'spy' (someone who watches secretly — from Old French 'espier') and 'software' (programs for a computer — coined in the 1950s from 'soft' + 'ware'). The term first appeared in the mid-1990s as the internet expanded and companies found ways to collect user data without permission.