ENGLISH
REFERENCE

cross platform

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate Programming
Definition

adj. describes software or hardware that can work on different types of computers or operating systems. You use this when an app works on both a phone and a laptop.

adj. referring to software, hardware, or digital content that is compatible with multiple operating systems or hardware architectures. Typically used attributively before a noun.


SIMPLE

This cross-platform app works on both Android and iPhone.

CONTEXTUAL

The development team chose a cross-platform framework to ensure the game would launch simultaneously on PC, console, and mobile devices.

COMPLEX

Modern software architecture increasingly prioritizes cross-platform compatibility to maximize user reach and reduce the overhead associated with maintaining separate codebases for different environments.

Origin

A compound formed from the preposition cross, denoting movement or extension over a boundary, and the noun platform, referring to a specific computing architecture. The term emerged in the 1980s as standardisation became a commercial necessity.

Usage

Typically placed before the noun it modifies.

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