program

UK: /ˈprəʊgræm/ US: /ˈproʊgræm, -grəm/ ,(prō′gram, -grəm)

Inflections of 'program' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

programs

v 3rd person singular

programming

v pres p

programmed

v past

programmed

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

pro•gram /ˈproʊgræm, -grəm/   n., v., -grammed or -gramed, -gram•ming or -gram•ing. 
n. [countable]

1. a plan of action to accomplish a certain goal or end:
   a drug rehabilitation program.
2. a planned or coordinated schedule of activities.
3. Show Business a radio or television performance or production.
4. Show Business a list of selections, performers, etc., included in a musical, theatrical, or other entertainment, a booklet containing such a list, or the selections themselves.
5. Show Business an entertainment with reference to its pieces or numbers:
   a program of French songs.
6. Computing a sequence of instructions enabling a computer to perform a task; piece of software.

v. 

7. to schedule or establish as part of a program:
   [~ + object] The bells are programmed to go off at noon.
8. Computing to provide a program for (a computer): [~ + object]
   He used BASIC to program his computer.
   [no object]
   He programmed in BASIC.
9. [~ + object]
   • to insert, enter, or type instructions into:
     to program a VCR to record a show.
   • to enter (instructions) into a machine or apparatus:
     to program the schedule into the VCR.
10. to fill with attitudes, behavior patterns, or the like;
    condition:
    [~ + object] to program children to respect their elders.

Also,[esp. Brit.,] ˈpro•gramme.  pro•gram•ma•ble, adj. 
pro•gram•mat•ic /ˌproʊgrəˈmætɪk/  adj.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

pro•gram  (prō′gram, -grəm), n., v., -grammed or -gramed, -gram•ming or -gram•ing. 
n. 

1. a plan of action to accomplish a specified end:
   a school lunch program.
2. a plan or schedule of activities, procedures, etc., to be followed.
3. Show Business a radio or television performance or production.
4. Show Business a list of items, pieces, performers, etc., in a musical, theatrical, or other entertainment.
5. Show Business an entertainment with reference to its pieces or numbers:
   a program of American and French music.
6. a planned, coordinated group of activities, procedures, etc., often for a specific purpose, or a facility offering such a series of activities:
   a drug rehabilitation program; a graduate program in linguistics.
7. a prospectus or syllabus:
   a program of courses being offered.
8. Computing
   • a systematic plan for the automatic solution of a problem by a computer.
   • the precise sequence of instructions enabling a computer to solve a problem.

v.t. 

9. to schedule as part of a program.
10. Computing to prepare a program for.
11. to insert or encode specific operating instructions into (a machine or apparatus):
    We'll program the bells to ring at ten-minute intervals.
12. to insert (instructions) into a machine or apparatus:
    An automatic release has been programmed into the lock as a safety feature.
13. to cause to absorb or incorporate automatic responses, attitudes, or the like;
    condition:
    Our parents programmed us to respect our elders.
14. to set, regulate, or modify so as to produce a specific response or reaction:
    Program your eating habits to eliminate sweets.

v.i. 

15. to plan or write a program.

Also,[esp. Brit.,] pro′gramme. 

• Greek prógramma public notice in writing. See pro-², -gram¹
• Late Latin programma
• 1625–35

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

program, (sometimes)programme / ˈprəʊɡræm/ noun

1. a sequence of coded instructions fed into a computer, enabling it to perform specified logical and arithmetical operations on data

verb ( -grams, -gramming, -grammed, -grammes, -gramming, -grammed)

1. (transitive) to feed a program into (a computer)
2. (transitive) to arrange (data) into a suitable form so that it can be processed by a computer
3. (intransitive) to write a program

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

programme, program / ˈprəʊɡræm/ noun

1. a written or printed list of the events, performers, etc, in a public performance
2. a performance or series of performances, often presented at a scheduled time, esp on radio or television
3. a specially arranged selection of things to be done: what's the programme for this afternoon?
4. a plan, schedule, or procedure
5. a syllabus or curriculum

verb ( -grammes, -gramming, -grammed) ( -grams, -graming, -gramed)

1. to design or schedule (something) as a programme

noun , verb

1. a variant spelling of program

Etymology: 17th Century: from Late Latin programma, from Greek: written public notice, from pro-² + graphein to write