Other forms: programs, programming, programmed
A program is a set of instructions a computer follows. Run a program, write a program, the program crashed.
The spelling splits by meaning as well as by country, and this is one of the tidiest rules in British English: computing always uses program, and everything else uses programme — a television programme, a concert programme, a training programme. American English uses program throughout. The verb is program with one m in America and programme in Britain, though programmed and programming double the m everywhere. Note that to program somebody is to condition them, which is always disapproving.
1nounprogramA set of instructions a computer follows.
“The program has not been updated since 2018.”
2verbwriteTo write instructions for a computer or a machine.
“He programmed the heating to come on at six.”
3nounplannedA planned series of activities.
“The training program runs for eight weeks.”
Too few real examples of this word to estimate which sense is commonest.
program is a set of instructions.
Also accepted in games: programme
Greek programma meant a written public notice — pro-, before, plus graphein, to write. A programme was something posted up in advance, which is exactly what a concert programme still is; the computing sense took the same idea of instructions set out beforehand.
Proto-Indo-European
*per-
Ancient Greek
πρόγραμμα — a written public notice, an edict
Latin
programma — a proclamation, edict
French
programme
English, today
program
Built from
French programme, from Latin programma (“a proclamation, edict”), from Ancient Greek πρόγραμμα (“a written public notice, an edict”), from προγράφω (“to set forth as a public notice”), from πρό (“before”) + γράφω (“to write”). a doublet of programma.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA