word choice - Appropriate use of "app" vs "application"


Can app serve as an accepted abbreviation for application in formal contexts? Is there some context where app is more accepted (for example, when talking about mobile applications)?



Answer



Your intuition is right. Nowadays, when people say "app" they mean "mobile application."


If you want to talk about an application that doesn't run on a tablet/phone, you can say something is a "Windows app". If you don't want to specify the operating system except to say that it's not a mobile application, just go with "application" or "program".


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