A word is a basic element of language that carries an objective or practical meaning, can be used on its own, and is uninterruptible. It is a unit of language that can be represented in writing or speech and has meaning. Words are made up of at least one morpheme, which is the smallest unit of language that has a meaning, even if it cannot stand on its own. Morphemes can also be joined to create other words in a process of morphological derivation.

The concept of "word" is distinguished from that of a morpheme, which is the smallest unit of language that has a meaning, even if it cannot stand on its own. Words can be defined based on phonological, grammatical, or orthographic basis. However, no satisfying definition has yet been found to apply to all languages and at all levels of linguistic analysis.

In computing, a word is a set of bits used to store, transmit, or operate upon an item of information in a computer, such as a program instruction.

In Microsoft Word, it is a software application that allows users to create, format, and edit documents, review with track changes, and share files.