antivirus

noun

A program that finds and removes harmful software such as computer viruses.

Example sentences

“Remember to keep your antivirus up to date.”
“My antivirus flagged the email attachment as dangerous and deleted it.”

Almost always attributive: antivirus software, antivirus protection. Written as one word.

Related words

hackerSomeone who breaks into computer systems or networks without permission, often to steal data or cause damage.virusA tiny germ, much smaller than bacteria, that gets into living cells and causes diseases such as colds and flu.phishingThe crime of using a fake identity online to get past security and trick people out of private information.spywareSoftware that secretly watches what someone does on a computer and passes the information on to others.spamUnwanted messages, usually advertisements, sent out in bulk by email or other electronic means.malwareComputer programs created to do harm or act against the user's wishes.