[free-wair] 
| computer software distributed without charge. |
| free·ware (frē'wâr') n. Software that is available for free, usually over the Internet. |
| freeware (frē'wâr') Pronunciation Key
Software that is available to users for free. Freeware is often made available for downloading over the Internet. |
freeware legal
Software, often written by enthusiasts and distributed at no charge by users' groups, or via the World-Wide Web, electronic mail, bulletin boards, Usenet, or other electronic media.
At one time, "freeware" was a trademark of Andrew Fluegelman. It wasn't enforced after his death.
"Freeware" should not be confused with "free software" (roughly, software with unrestricted redistribution) or "shareware" (software distributed without charge for which users can pay voluntarily).
Jim Knopf's story.
[The Jargon File]
(2003-07-26)
