hybrid app
compound.compound. a mobile application that combines elements of both web and native apps. It is built using web technologies like HTML and CSS but runs inside a native container so it can be installed on a phone.
compound. a software application that integrates elements of both native and web-based platforms. Developed using web technologies, it is wrapped in a native container that allows it to access device hardware and be distributed through app stores.
The company built a hybrid app to save time and money.
Because they wanted to launch on both iOS and Android simultaneously, the startup opted for a hybrid app instead of two separate native ones.
While a hybrid app offers cross-platform compatibility and streamlined development cycles, it may suffer from slightly higher latency compared to a fully native application when performing complex animations.
A compound of hybrid, from the Latin hybrida, and app, a clipping of application. The term arose through the combination of existing technical descriptors as developers sought to categorise software that occupied a middle ground between web and native architectures.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Often used in technical or business contexts regarding mobile development strategy.
Last updated July 22, 2026