# compiler

/kəmˈpaɪɫɝ/ (US) · /kəmpˈaɪlɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/compiler
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. a person who collects information

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a person who gathers information from different places to create a book, report, or list.

For teachers: an individual who assembles or collates information from various sources into a single work, such as a dictionary or anthology.

- The compiler of this dictionary spent years gathering new words from the internet.
- As the lead compiler of the annual report, she was responsible for synthesising data from twelve different regional departments into a coherent narrative.

### 2. programming tool

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

a computer program that changes code written by a person into instructions that a computer can run.

For teachers: a program that translates source code written in a high-level programming language into a lower-level language, typically machine code, to create an executable program.

- If there is an error in your code, the compiler will show a message and won't finish.
- The developer switched to a more efficient compiler to reduce the final size of the application and improve execution speed on mobile devices.

Usage: Usually a countable noun; often used in the context of 'ahead-of-time' translation compared to an interpreter.

## Examples

- The compiler found an error in the third line of my code.
- After writing the software, the developer used a compiler to turn the human-readable text into an executable file.
- Modern compilers do more than just translate code; they perform sophisticated analysis to optimize memory usage and execution speed, ensuring the final software runs efficiently on specific hardware architectures.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.