What does executable mean?
Executable describes something capable of being carried out, performed, or — most commonly today — run by a computer. As an adjective in computing, it applies to files or programs containing instructions a machine can execute directly: double-clicking an executable file launches the software within. The word also functions as a noun in technical speech, where 'an executable' simply means such a runnable file. Outside computing, executable appears in legal and managerial contexts, describing contracts, orders, plans, or strategies that can validly be put into effect — a will may be deemed executable, and a proposal may be praised as executable when it is realistic rather than merely aspirational. Derived from the Latin executi-, the past participle stem of exequi, meaning 'to follow out' or 'carry out', the word entered English through the verb execute. Its modern currency is largely a product of the digital age, though its underlying sense of actionability has remained stable for centuries.
(Computing) Of a file or program: able to be run directly by a computer. (General/Legal) Of a plan, contract, or order: able to be carried out or put into effect.
"The installer downloaded as a single executable file."
The computing sense dominates modern usage; the general sense survives mainly in legal and formal writing.
A computer file that contains a program and can be run directly, typically identified on Windows by an .exe extension.
"He accidentally deleted the executable, so the game would no longer launch."
Used informally among developers and technically minded users; in formal prose, 'executable file' is preferred.
Used almost exclusively in the computing sense, referring to multiple runnable files or programs.
"The archive contained several suspicious executables flagged by the antivirus scanner."
Every app you've ever opened began life as an 'executable' — a single file that convinced your computer to spring into action.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of executable
Executable derives from the Latin exequi (execut-), meaning 'to follow out, carry out', formed from ex- ('out') and sequi ('to follow'). It entered English via the verb execute, which came through Old French from Latin, with the adjective-forming suffix -able added to indicate capability. While legal uses of the execute family are centuries old, the computing sense of executable rose to prominence with the spread of software in the mid-twentieth century. Cognates sharing the same Latin root include executioner, executive, and executor.
Related word forms
How executable is actually used
In everyday technical contexts ('executable file', 'executable code'), the word is overwhelmingly associated with computing and is often used as a noun meaning the file itself. In legal and business register it retains its older sense of something that can be enforced or performed. Neither sense is regional; both are standard in British and American usage.
Easily confused with executable
'Executional' relates to the carrying-out of plans or tasks (often in marketing), while 'executable' describes something capable of being carried out or run.