personal computer
Americannoun
noun
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A computer built around a microprocessor for use by an individual. Personal computers have their own operating systems, software, and peripherals, and can generally be linked to networks.
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Compare mainframe
Etymology
Origin of personal computer
First recorded in 1975–80
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Generative AI is being incorporated into the workplace at a rapid pace, as fast as the personal computer and faster than the internet was.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
And he’s naming it for the most-infamous personal computer in American political history.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
Laptop chipmakers such as Intel and AMD should be worried about their new rival Nvidia, experts say, after the US hardware titan announced Monday a push into the personal computer market.
From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026
Doerr’s timeline starts in 1980 with the personal computer and microchip revolution, followed by the browser and the internet, the iPhone and cloud computing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 23, 2026
In the 1970s, no educationist would have predicted the explosion in universal written communication caused by the personal computer, the internet and the key-pad of the mobile phone.
From "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" by Author
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
