Definition of microsoft word in computer

Microsoft Word is a word processor developed by Microsoft. It was first released on October 25, 1983,[9] under the name Multi-Tool Word for Xenix systems.[10][11][12] Subsequent versions were later written for several other platforms including: IBM PCs running DOS (1983), Apple Macintosh running the Classic Mac OS (1985), AT&T UNIX PC (1985), Atari ST (1988), OS/2 (1989), Microsoft Windows (1989), SCO Unix (1990), macOS (2001), Web browsers (2010), iOS (2014) and Android (2015). Using Wine, versions of Microsoft Word before 2013 can be run on Linux.

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Office Word (2019–present).svg
Microsoft Word.png

Microsoft Office 365 version of Microsoft Word, with the new redesign applied

Developer(s) Microsoft
Initial release October 25, 1983; 39 years ago (as Multi-Tool Word)
Stable release

2209 (16.0.15629.20208)
/ October 11, 2022; 6 months ago[1]

Repository none Edit this at Wikidata
Written in C++ (back-end)[2]
Operating system
  • Windows 10 and later, Windows Server 2016 and later
Office 365 only
  • Windows 7 SP1, Windows Server 2008 R2 and later[3]
Platform IA-32, x64, ARM, ARM64
Type Word processor
License Trialware
Website microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/word
Microsoft Word for Mac

Word for Mac screenshot.png

Word for Mac running on macOS Ventura (13.2)

Developer(s) Microsoft
Stable release

16.64 (Build 22081401)
/ August 16, 2022; 7 months ago[4]

Repository none Edit this at Wikidata
Written in C++ (back-end), Objective-C (API/UI)[2]
Operating system macOS
Type Word processor
License Proprietary software plus services
Website products.office.com/word
Microsoft Word for Android

Word for Android.png

Screenshot of Microsoft Word for Android 13

Original author(s) Microsoft Corporation
Developer(s) Microsoft Corporation
Initial release January 29, 2015; 8 years ago[5]
Stable release

16.0.15427.20090
/ July 14, 2022; 8 months ago[6]

Repository none Edit this at Wikidata
Operating system Android Pie and later
License Proprietary commercial software
Website products.office.com/word
Microsoft Word for iOS

Developer(s) Microsoft Corporation
Initial release March 27, 2014; 9 years ago[7]
Stable release

2.63.2
/ July 18, 2022; 8 months ago[8]

Repository none Edit this at Wikidata
Operating system iOS 14 or later
IPadOS 14 or later
License Proprietary commercial software
Website products.office.com/word
Word Mobile for Windows 10

Developer(s) Microsoft
Repository none Edit this at Wikidata
Operating system Windows 10 and later, Windows 10 Mobile
Type Word processor
License Freemium
Website www.microsoft.com/store/productId/9WZDNCRFJB9S

Commercial versions of Word are licensed as a standalone product or as a component of Microsoft Office suite of software, which can be purchased either with a perpetual license or as part of a Microsoft 365 subscription.

HistoryEdit

OriginsEdit

In 1981, Microsoft hired Charles Simonyi, the primary developer of Bravo, the first GUI word processor, which was developed at Xerox PARC.[13] Simonyi started work on a word processor called Multi-Tool Word and soon hired Richard Brodie, a former Xerox intern, who became the primary software engineer.[13][14][15]

Microsoft announced Multi-Tool Word for Xenix[13] and MS-DOS in 1983.[16] Its name was soon simplified to Microsoft Word.[10] Free demonstration copies of the application were bundled with the November 1983 issue of PC World, making it the first to be distributed on-disk with a magazine.[10][17] That year Microsoft demonstrated Word running on Windows.[18]

Unlike most MS-DOS programs at the time, Microsoft Word was designed to be used with a mouse.[16] Advertisements depicted the Microsoft Mouse and described Word as a WYSIWYG, windowed word processor with the ability to undo and display bold, italic, and underlined text,[19] although it could not render fonts.[10] It was not initially popular, since its user interface was different from the leading word processor at the time, WordStar.[20] However, Microsoft steadily improved the product, releasing versions 2.0 through 5.0 over the next six years. In 1985, Microsoft ported Word to the classic Mac OS (known as Macintosh System Software at the time). This was made easier by Word for DOS having been designed for use with high-resolution displays and laser printers, even though none were yet available to the general public.[21] It was also notable for its very fast cut-and-paste function and unlimited number of undo operations, which are due to its usage of the piece table data structure.[22]

Following the precedents of LisaWrite and MacWrite, Word for Mac OS added true WYSIWYG features. It fulfilled a need for a word processor that was more capable than MacWrite.[23] After its release, Word for Mac OS’s sales were higher than its MS-DOS counterpart for at least four years.[13]

The second release of Word for Mac OS, shipped in 1987, was named Word 3.0 to synchronize its version number with Word for DOS; this was Microsoft’s first attempt to synchronize version numbers across platforms. Word 3.0 included numerous internal enhancements and new features, including the first implementation of the Rich Text Format (RTF) specification, but was plagued with bugs. Within a few months, Word 3.0 was superseded by a more stable Word 3.01, which was mailed free to all registered users of 3.0.[21] After MacWrite Pro was discontinued in the mid-1990s, Word for Mac OS never had any serious rivals. Word 5.1 for Mac OS, released in 1992, was a very popular word processor owing to its elegance, relative ease of use, and feature set. Many users say it is the best version of Word for Mac OS ever created.[21][24]

In 1986, an agreement between Atari and Microsoft brought Word to the Atari ST[25] under the name Microsoft Write. The Atari ST version was a port of Word 1.05 for the Mac OS[26][27] and was never updated.

The first version of Word for Windows was released in 1989. With the release of Windows 3.0 the following year, sales began to pick up and Microsoft soon became the market leader for word processors for IBM PC-compatible computers.[13] In 1991, Microsoft capitalized on Word for Windows’ increasing popularity by releasing a version of Word for DOS, version 5.5, that replaced its unique user interface with an interface similar to a Windows application.[28][29] When Microsoft became aware of the Year 2000 problem, it made Microsoft Word 5.5 for DOS available for free downloads. As of February 2021, it is still available for download from Microsoft’s website.[30]
In 1991, Microsoft embarked on a project code-named Pyramid to completely rewrite Microsoft Word from the ground up. Both the Windows and Mac OS versions would start from the same code base. It was abandoned when it was determined that it would take the development team too long to rewrite and then catch up with all the new capabilities that could have been added at the same time without a rewrite. Instead, the next versions of Word for Windows and Mac OS, dubbed version 6.0, both started from the code base of Word for Windows 2.0.[24]

With the release of Word 6.0 in 1993, Microsoft again attempted to synchronize the version numbers and coordinate product naming across platforms, this time across DOS, Mac OS, and Windows (this was the last version of Word for DOS). It introduced AutoCorrect, which automatically fixed certain typing errors, and AutoFormat, which could reformat many parts of a document at once. While the Windows version received favorable reviews (e.g., from InfoWorld[31]), the Mac OS version was widely derided. Many accused it of being slow, clumsy, and memory intensive, and its user interface differed significantly from Word 5.1.[24] In response to user requests, Microsoft offered Word 5 again, after it had been discontinued.[32] Subsequent versions of Word for macOS are no longer direct ports of Word for Windows, instead featuring a mixture of ported code and native code.

Word for WindowsEdit

Word for Windows is available stand-alone or as part of the Microsoft Office suite. Word contains rudimentary desktop publishing capabilities and is the most widely used word processing program on the market. Word files are commonly used as the format for sending text documents via e-mail because almost every user with a computer can read a Word document by using the Word application, a Word viewer or a word processor that imports the Word format (see Microsoft Word Viewer).

Word 6 for Windows NT was the first 32-bit version of the product,[33] released with Microsoft Office for Windows NT around the same time as Windows 95. It was a straightforward port of Word 6.0. Starting with Word 95, each release of Word was named after the year of its release, instead of its version number.[34]

Word 2007 introduced a redesigned user interface that emphasized the most common controls, dividing them into tabs, and adding specific options depending on the context, such as selecting an image or editing a table.[35] This user interface, called Ribbon, was included in Excel, PowerPoint and Access 2007, and would be later introduced to other Office applications with Office 2010 and Windows applications such as Paint and WordPad with Windows 7, respectively.[36]

The redesigned interface also includes a toolbar that appears when selecting text, with options for formatting included.[37]

Word 2007 also included the option to save documents as Adobe Acrobat or XPS files,[37] and upload Word documents like blog posts on services such as WordPress.

Word 2010 allows the customization of the Ribbon,[38] adds a Backstage view for file management,[39] has improved document navigation, allows creation and embedding of screenshots,[40] and integrates with online services such as Microsoft OneDrive.[41]

Word 2019 added a dictation function.

Word 2021 added co-authoring, a visual refresh on the start experience and tabs, automatic cloud saving, dark mode, line focus, an updated draw tab, and support for ODF 1.3.

Word for MacEdit

The Mac was introduced on January 24, 1984, and Microsoft introduced Word 1.0 for Mac a year later, on January 18, 1985. The DOS, Mac, and Windows versions are quite different from each other. Only the Mac version was WYSIWYG and used a graphical user interface, far ahead of the other platforms. Each platform restarted its version numbering at «1.0».[42] There was no version 2 on the Mac, but version 3 came out on January 31, 1987, as described above. Word 4.0 came out on November 6, 1990, and added automatic linking with Excel, the ability to flow text around graphics, and a WYSIWYG page view editing mode. Word 5.1 for Mac, released in 1992 ran on the original 68000 CPU and was the last to be specifically designed as a Macintosh application. The later Word 6 was a Windows port and poorly received. Word 5.1 continued to run well until the last Classic MacOS. Many people continue to run Word 5.1 to this day under an emulated Mac classic system for some of its excellent features, such as document generation and renumbering, or to access their old files.

Microsoft Word 2011 running on OS X

In 1997, Microsoft formed the Macintosh Business Unit as an independent group within Microsoft focused on writing software for Mac OS. Its first version of Word, Word 98, was released with Office 98 Macintosh Edition. Document compatibility reached parity with Word 97,[32] and it included features from Word 97 for Windows, including spell and grammar checking with squiggles.[43] Users could choose the menus and keyboard shortcuts to be similar to either Word 97 for Windows or Word 5 for Mac OS.

Word 2001, released in 2000, added a few new features, including the Office Clipboard, which allowed users to copy and paste multiple items.[44] It was the last version to run on classic Mac OS and, on Mac OS X, it could only run within the Classic Environment. Word X, released in 2001, was the first version to run natively on, and required, Mac OS X,[43] and introduced non-contiguous text selection.[45]

Word 2004 was released in May 2004. It included a new Notebook Layout view for taking notes either by typing or by voice.[46] Other features, such as tracking changes, were made more similar with Office for Windows.[47]

Word 2008, released on January 15, 2008, included a Ribbon-like feature, called the Elements Gallery, that can be used to select page layouts and insert custom diagrams and images. It also included a new view focused on publishing layout, integrated bibliography management,[48] and native support for the new Office Open XML format. It was the first version to run natively on Intel-based Macs.[49]

Word 2011, released in October 2010, replaced the Elements Gallery in favor of a Ribbon user interface that is much more similar to Office for Windows,[50] and includes a full-screen mode that allows users to focus on reading and writing documents, and support for Office Web Apps.[51]

Word 2021 added real-time co-authoring, automatic cloud saving, dark mode, immersive reader enhancements, line focus, a visual refresh, the ability to save pictures in SVG format, and a new Sketched style outline.

File formatsEdit

Native file formats

DOC Legacy Word document
DOT Legacy Word templates
WBK Legacy Word document backup
DOCX XML Word document
DOCM XML Word macro-enabled document
DOTX XML Word template
DOTM XML Word macro-enabled template
DOCB XML Word binary document

Filename extensionsEdit

Microsoft Word’s native file formats are denoted either by a .doc or .docx filename extension.

Although the .doc extension has been used in many different versions of Word, it actually encompasses four distinct file formats:

  1. Word for DOS
  2. Word for Windows 1 and 2; Word 3 and 4 for Mac OS
  3. Word 6 and Word 95 for Windows; Word 6 for Mac OS
  4. Word 97 and later for Windows; Word 98 and later for Mac OS

(The classic Mac OS of the era did not use filename extensions.)[52]

The newer .docx extension signifies the Office Open XML international standard for Office documents and is used by default by Word 2007 and later for Windows as well as Word 2008 and later for macOS.[53]

Binary formats (Word 97–2007)Edit

During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the default Word document format (.DOC) became a de facto standard of document file formats for Microsoft Office users.[citation needed] There are different versions of «Word Document Format» used by default in Word 97–2007.[54] Each binary word file is a Compound File,[55] a hierarchical file system within a file. According to Joel Spolsky, Word Binary File Format is extremely complex mainly because its developers had to accommodate an overwhelming number of features and prioritize performance over anything else.

As with all OLE Compound Files, Word Binary Format consists of «storages», which are analogous to computer folders and «streams», which are similar to computer files. Each storage may contain streams or other storage. Each Word Binary File must contain a stream called the «WordDocument» stream and this stream must start with a File Information Block (FIB).[57] FIB serves as the first point of reference for locating everything else, such as where the text in a Word document starts, ends, what version of Word created the document and other attributes.

Word 2007 and later continue to support the DOC file format, although it is no longer the default.

XML Document (Word 2003)Edit

The .docx XML format introduced in Word 2003[58] was a simple, XML-based format called WordProcessingML or WordML.

The Microsoft Office XML formats are XML-based document formats (or XML schemas) introduced in versions of Microsoft Office prior to Office 2007. Microsoft Office XP introduced a new XML format for storing Excel spreadsheets and Office 2003 added an XML-based format for Word documents.

These formats were succeeded by Office Open XML (ECMA-376) in Microsoft Office 2007.

Cross-version compatibilityEdit

Opening a Word Document file in a version of Word other than the one with which it was created can cause an incorrect display of the document. The document formats of the various versions change in subtle and not-so-subtle ways (such as changing the font or the handling of more complex tasks like footnotes). Formatting created in newer versions does not always survive when viewed in older versions of the program, nearly always because that capability does not exist in the previous version.[59] Rich Text Format (RTF), an early effort to create a format for interchanging formatted text between applications, is an optional format for Word that retains most formatting and all content of the original document.

Third-party formatsEdit

Plugins permitting the Windows versions of Word to read and write formats it does not natively support, such as international standard OpenDocument format (ODF) (ISO/IEC 26300:2006), are available. Up until the release of Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Office 2007, Word did not natively support reading or writing ODF documents without a plugin, namely the SUN ODF Plugin or the OpenXML/ODF Translator. With SP2 installed, ODF format 1.1 documents can be read and saved like any other supported format in addition to those already available in Word 2007.[59][60][61][62][63] The implementation faces substantial criticism, and the ODF Alliance and others have claimed that the third-party plugins provide better support.[64] Microsoft later declared that the ODF support has some limitations.[65]

In October 2005, one year before the Microsoft Office 2007 suite was released, Microsoft declared that there was insufficient demand from Microsoft customers for the international standard OpenDocument format support and that therefore it would not be included in Microsoft Office 2007. This statement was repeated in the following months.[66][67][68][69] As an answer, on October 20, 2005, an online petition was created to demand ODF support from Microsoft.[70]

In May 2006, the ODF plugin for Microsoft Office was released by the OpenDocument Foundation.[71] Microsoft declared that it had no relationship with the developers of the plugin.[72]

In July 2006, Microsoft announced the creation of the Open XML Translator project – tools to build a technical bridge between the Microsoft Office Open XML Formats and the OpenDocument Format (ODF). This work was started in response to government requests for interoperability with ODF. The goal of the project was not to add ODF support to Microsoft Office, but only to create a plugin and an external toolset.[73][74] In February 2007, this project released a first version of the ODF plugin for Microsoft Word.[75]

In February 2007, Sun released an initial version of its ODF plugin for Microsoft Office.[76] Version 1.0 was released in July 2007.[77]

Microsoft Word 2007 (Service Pack 1) supports (for output only) PDF and XPS formats, but only after manual installation of the Microsoft ‘Save as PDF or XPS’ add-on.[78][79] On later releases, this was offered by default.

Features and flawsEdit

Among its features, Word includes a built-in spell checker, a thesaurus, a dictionary, and utilities for manipulating and editing text. It supports creating tables. Depending on the version, it can perform simple calculations, and supports formatting formulas and equations.

The following are some aspects of its feature set.

TemplatesEdit

Several later versions of Word include the ability for users to create their formatting templates, allowing them to define a file in which: the title, heading, paragraph, and other element designs differ from the standard Word templates.[80] Users can find how to do this under the Help section located near the top right corner (Word 2013 on Windows 8).

For example, Normal.dotm is the master template from which all Word documents are created. It determines the margin defaults as well as the layout of the text and font defaults. Although Normal.dotm is already set with certain defaults, the user can change it to new defaults. This will change other documents which were created using the template.[81] It was previously Normal.dot.[82]

Image formatsEdit

Word can import and display images in common bitmap formats such as JPG and GIF. It can also be used to create and display simple line art. Microsoft Word added support[83] for the common SVG vector image format in 2017 for Office 365 ProPlus subscribers and this functionality was also included in the Office 2019 release.

WordArtEdit

An example image created with WordArt

WordArt enables drawing text in a Microsoft Word document such as a title, watermark, or other text, with graphical effects such as skewing, shadowing, rotating, stretching in a variety of shapes and colors, and even including three-dimensional effects. Users can apply formatting effects such as shadow, bevel, glow, and reflection to their document text as easily as applying bold or underline. Users can also spell-check text that uses visual effects and add text effects to paragraph styles.

MacrosEdit

A macro is a rule of pattern that specifies how a certain input sequence (often a sequence of characters) should be mapped to an output sequence according to a defined process. Frequently used or repetitive sequences of keystrokes and mouse movements can be automated. Like other Microsoft Office documents, Word files can include advanced macros and even embedded programs. The language was originally WordBasic, but changed to Visual Basic for Applications as of Word 97.

This extensive functionality can also be used to run and propagate viruses in documents. The tendency for people to exchange Word documents via email, USB flash drives, and floppy disks made this an especially attractive vector in 1999. A prominent example was the Melissa virus, but countless others have existed.

These macro viruses were the only known cross-platform threats between Windows and Macintosh computers and they were the only infection vectors to affect any macOS system up until the advent of video codec trojans in 2007.[citation needed] Microsoft released patches for Word X and Word 2004 that effectively eliminated the macro problem on the Mac by 2006.

Word’s macro security setting, which regulates when macros may execute, can be adjusted by the user, but in the most recent versions of Word, it is set to HIGH by default, generally reducing the risk from macro-based viruses, which have become uncommon.

Layout issuesEdit

Before Word 2010 (Word 14) for Windows, the program was unable to correctly handle ligatures defined in OpenType fonts.[84] Those ligature glyphs with Unicode codepoints may be inserted manually, but are not recognized by Word for what they are, breaking spell checking, while custom ligatures present in the font are not accessible at all. Since Word 2010, the program now has advanced typesetting features which can be enabled,[85] OpenType ligatures,[86] kerning and hyphenation (previous versions already had the latter two features). Other layout deficiencies of Word include the inability to set crop marks or thin spaces. Various third-party workaround utilities have been developed.[87]

In Word 2004 for Mac OS X, support of complex scripts was inferior even to Word 97[88] and Word 2004 did not support Apple Advanced Typography features like ligatures or glyph variants.[89]

Issues with technical documentsEdit

Microsoft Word is only awkwardly suitable for some kinds of technical writing, specifically, that which requires mathematical equations,[90] figure placement, table placement and cross-references to any of these items.[citation needed] The usual workaround for equations is to use a third-party equation typesetter.[citation needed] Figures and tables must be placed manually; there is an anchor mechanism but it is not designed for fully automatic figure placement and editing text after placing figures and tables often requires re-placing those items by moving the anchor point and even then the placement options are limited.[citation needed] This problem is deeply baked into Word’s structure since 1985 as it does not know where page breaks will occur until the document is printed.[citation needed]

Bullets and numberingEdit

Microsoft Word supports bullet lists and numbered lists. It also features a numbering system that helps add correct numbers to pages, chapters, headers, footnotes, and entries of tables of content; these numbers automatically change to correct ones as new items are added or existing items are deleted. Bullets and numbering can be applied directly to paragraphs and converted to lists.[91] Word 97 through 2003, however, had problems adding correct numbers to numbered lists. In particular, a second irrelevant numbered list might have not started with number one but instead resumed numbering after the last numbered list. Although Word 97 supported a hidden marker that said the list numbering must restart afterward, the command to insert this marker (Restart Numbering command) was only added in Word 2003. However, if one were to cut the first item of the listed and paste it as another item (e.g. fifth), then the restart marker would have moved with it and the list would have restarted in the middle instead of at the top.[92]

Word continues to default to non-Unicode characters and non-hierarchical bulleting, despite user preference for Powerpoint-style symbol hierarchies (e.g., filled circle/emdash/filled square/endash/emptied circle) and universal compatibility.

AutoSummarizeEdit

Available in certain versions of Word (e.g., Word 2007), AutoSummarize highlights passages or phrases that it considers valuable and can be a quick way of generating a crude abstract or an executive summary.[93] The amount of text to be retained can be specified by the user as a percentage of the current amount of text.

According to Ron Fein of the Word 97 team, AutoSummarize cuts wordy copy to the bone by counting words and ranking sentences. First, AutoSummarize identifies the most common words in the document (barring «a» and «the» and the like) and assigns a «score» to each word – the more frequently a word is used, the higher the score. Then, it «averages» each sentence by adding the scores of its words and dividing the sum by the number of words in the sentence – the higher the average, the higher the rank of the sentence. «It’s like the ratio of wheat to chaff,» explains Fein.[94]

AutoSummarize was removed from Microsoft Word for Mac OS X 2011, although it was present in Word for Mac 2008. AutoSummarize was removed from the Office 2010 release version (14) as well.[95]

Other platformsEdit

Word for mobileEdit

Word Mobile[96] is a word processor that allows creating and editing documents. It supports basic formatting, such as bolding, changing font size, and changing colors (from red, yellow, or green). It can add comments, but can’t edit documents with tracked changes. It can’t open password-protected documents; change the typeface, text alignment, or style (normal, heading 1); create bulleted lists; insert pictures; or undo.[97][98][99] Word Mobile is neither able to display nor insert footnotes, endnotes, page headers, page footers, page breaks, certain indentation of lists, and certain fonts while working on a document, but retains them if the original document has them.[100] In addition to the features of the 2013 version, the 2007 version on Windows Mobile also has the ability to save documents in the Rich Text Format and open legacy PSW (Pocket Word).[100] Furthermore, it includes a spell checker, word count tool, and a «Find and Replace» command. In 2015, Word Mobile became available for Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile on Windows Store.[101]

Support for Windows 10 Mobile version ended in January 12, 2021.[102]

Word for the webEdit

Word for the web is a free lightweight version of Microsoft Word available as part of Office on the web, which also includes web versions of Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint.

Word for the web lacks some Ribbon tabs, such as Design and Mailings. Mailings allows users to print envelopes and labels and manage mail merge printing of Word documents.[103][104] Word for the web is not able to edit certain objects, such as: equations, shapes, text boxes or drawings, but a placeholder may be present in the document. Certain advanced features like table sorting or columns will not be displayed but are preserved as they were in the document. Other views available in the Word desktop app (Outline, Draft, Web Layout, and Full-Screen Reading) are not available, nor are side-by-side viewing, split windows, and the ruler.[105]

Password protectionEdit

Three password types can be set in Microsoft Word,

  • Password to open a document[106]
  • Password to modify a document[106]
  • Password restricting formatting and editing[107]

The second and third password types were developed by Microsoft for convenient shared use of documents rather than for their protection. There is no encryption of documents that are protected by such passwords and the Microsoft Office protection system saves a hash sum of a password in a document’s header where it can be easily accessed and removed by the specialized software. Password to open a document offers much tougher protection that had been steadily enhanced in the subsequent editions of Microsoft Office.

Word 95 and all the preceding editions had the weakest protection that utilized a conversion of a password to a 16-bit key.

Key length in Word 97 and 2000 was strengthened up to 40 bit. However, modern cracking software allows removing such a password very quickly – a persistent cracking process takes one week at most. Use of rainbow tables reduces password removal time to several seconds. Some password recovery software can not only remove a password but also find an actual password that was used by a user to encrypt the document using the brute-force attack approach. Statistically, the possibility of recovering the password depends on the password strength.

Word’s 2003/XP version default protection remained the same but an option that allowed advanced users to choose a Cryptographic Service Provider was added.[108] If a strong CSP is chosen, guaranteed document decryption becomes unavailable and, therefore, a password can’t be removed from the document. Nonetheless, a password can be fairly quickly picked with a brute-force attack, because its speed is still high regardless of the CSP selected. Moreover, since the CSPs are not active by default, their use is limited to advanced users only.

Word 2007 offers significantly more secure document protection which utilizes the modern Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) that converts a password to a 128-bit key using a SHA-1 hash function 50,000 times. It makes password removal impossible (as of today, no computer that can pick the key in a reasonable amount of time exists) and drastically slows the brute-force attack speed down to several hundreds of passwords per second.

Word’s 2010 protection algorithm was not changed apart from the increasing number of SHA-1 conversions up to 100,000 times and consequently, the brute-force attack speed decreased two times more.

ReceptionEdit

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2021)

Initial releases of Word were met with criticism. Byte in 1984 criticized the documentation for Word 1.1 and 2.0 for DOS, calling it «a complete farce». It called the software «clever, put together well and performs some extraordinary feats», but concluded that «especially when operated with the mouse, has many more limitations than benefits … extremely frustrating to learn and operate efficiently».[109] PC Magazine‘s review was very mixed, stating: «I’ve run into weird word processors before, but this is the first time one’s nearly knocked me down for the count» but acknowledging that Word’s innovations were the first that caused the reviewer to consider abandoning WordStar. While the review cited an excellent WYSIWYG display, sophisticated print formatting, windows, and footnoting as merits, it criticized many small flaws, very slow performance, and «documentation produced by Madame Sadie’s Pain Palace». It concluded that Word was «two releases away from potential greatness».[110]

Compute!’s Apple Applications in 1987 stated that «despite a certain awkwardness», Word 3.01 «will likely become the major Macintosh word processor» with «far too many features to list here». While criticizing the lack of true WYSIWYG, the magazine concluded that «Word is marvelous. It’s like a Mozart or Edison, whose occasional gaucherie we excuse because of his great gifts».[111]

Compute! in 1989 stated that Word 5.0’s integration of text and graphics made it «a solid engine for basic desktop publishing». The magazine approved of improvements to text mode, described the $75 price for upgrading from an earlier version as «the deal of the decade» and concluded that «as a high-octane word processor, Word is worth a look».[112]

During the first quarter of 1996, Microsoft Word accounted for 80% of the worldwide word processing market.[113]

Release historyEdit

Legend: Old version, not maintained Older version, still maintained Current stable version

Microsoft Word 2010 running on Windows 7

Microsoft Word for Windows release history

Year released Name Version Comments
1989 Word for Windows 1.0 1.0 Code-named Opus[114]
1990 Word for Windows 1.1 1.1 For Windows 3.0.[115] Code-named Bill the Cat[citation needed]
1990 Word for Windows 1.1a 1.1a On March 25, 2014, Microsoft made the source code to Word for Windows 1.1a available to the public via the Computer History Museum.[116][117]
1991 Word for Windows 2.0 2.0 Included in Office 3.0.
1993 Word for Windows 6.0 6.0 Version numbers 3, 4, and 5 were skipped, to bring Windows version numbering in line with that of DOS, Mac OS, and WordPerfect (the main competing word processor at the time). Also, a 32-bit version for Windows NT only. Included in Office 4.0, 4.2, and 4.3.
1995 Word for Windows 95 7.0 Included in Office 95
1997 Word 97 8.0 Included in Office 97
1998 Word 98 8.5 Included in Office 97
1999 Word 2000 9.0 Included in Office 2000
2001 Word 2002 10.0 Included in Office XP
2003 Microsoft Word 2003 11.0 Included in Office 2003
2006 Microsoft Word 2007 12.0 Included in Office 2007; released to businesses on November 30, 2006, released worldwide to consumers on January 30, 2007. Extended support until October 10, 2017.
2010 Word 2010 14.0 Included in Office 2010; skipped 13.0 due to triskaidekaphobia.[118]
2013 Word 2013 15.0 Included in Office 2013
2016 Word 2016 16.0 Included in Office 2016
2019 Word 2019 16.0 Included in Office 2019
2021 Word 2021 16.0 Included in Office 2021
Microsoft Word for classic Mac OS and macOS release history

Year released Name Version Comments
1985 Word 1 1.0
1987 Word 3 3.0
1989 Word 4 4.0 Part of Office 1.0 and 1.5
1991 Word 5 5.0
  • Part of Office 3.0
  • Requires System 6.0.2, 512 KB of RAM (1 MB for 5.1, 2 MB to use spell check and thesaurus), 6.5 MB available hard drive space[21]
1992 Word 5.1 5.1
  • Part of Office 3.0
  • Last version to support 68000-based Macs[21]
1993 Word 6 6.0
  • Part of Office 4.2
  • Shares code and user interface with Word for Windows 6
  • Requires System 7.0, 4 MB of RAM (8 MB recommended), at least 10 MB available hard drive space, 68020 CPU[21]
1998 Word 98 8.5
  • Part of Office 98 Macintosh Edition
  • Requires PowerPC-based Macintosh
  • Renumbered alongside contemporary Windows version
2000 Word 2001 9.0
  • Part of Microsoft Office 2001
  • Word 2001 is the last version that is compatible with Classic Mac OS (Mac OS 9 or earlier)
2001 Word v. X 10.0
  • Part of Office v. X
  • First version for Mac OS X only
2004 Word 2004 11.0 Part of Office 2004
2008 Word 2008 12.0 Part of Office 2008
2010 Word 2011 14.0 Part of Office 2011; skipped 13.0 due to triskaidekaphobia.[118]
2015 Word 2016 16.0 Part of Office 2016; skipped 15.0
2019 Word 2019 16.0 Part of Office 2019
2021 Word 2021 16.0 Included in Office 2021
Word for MS-DOS release history

Year released Name Version Comments
1983 Word 1 1.0 Initial version of Word
1985 Word 2 2.0
1986 Word 3 3.0 Removed copy protection
1987 Word 4 4.0
1989 Word 5 5.0
1991 Word 5.1 5.1
1991 Word 5.5 5.5 First DOS version to use a Windows-like user interface
1993 Word 6 6.0 Last DOS version.
Word release history on other platforms

Platform Year released Name Comments
Atari ST 1988 Microsoft Write Based on Microsoft Word 1.05 for Mac OS
OS/2 1989 Microsoft Word 5.0 Word 5.0 ran both under DOS and OS/2 dual-mode as a native OS/2 application
OS/2 1991 Microsoft Word 5.5 Word 5.5 ran both under DOS and OS/2 dual-mode as a native OS/2 application
OS/2 1990 Microsoft Word for OS/2 Presentation Manager version 1.1
OS/2 1991 Microsoft Word for OS/2 Presentation Manager version 1.2[citation needed]
SCO Unix 1990 Microsoft Word for Unix version 5.0[119]
SCO Unix 1991 Microsoft Word for Unix version 5.1[120]

ReferencesEdit

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Further readingEdit

  • Tsang, Cheryl. Microsoft: First Generation. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 978-0-471-33206-0.
  • Liebowitz, Stan J. & Margolis, Stephen E. Winners, Losers & Microsoft: Competition and Antitrust in High Technology Oakland: Independent Institute. ISBN 978-0-945999-80-5.

External linksEdit

  • Microsoft Word – official site
  • Find and replace text by using regular expressions (Advanced) — archived official support website

If you make any kind of documents, you’ll want to consider Microsoft Word. Use this helpful tool to create a wide variety of professional documents quickly and easily.

Microsoft Word DocumentMicrosoft Word DocumentMicrosoft Word Document
Use MS Word to produce many types of documents. (Image source: Envato Elements) 

In this tutorial, you’ll learn all about MS Word. You’ll discover what it’s used for. You’ll explore some of the features of Microsoft Word. Plus, we’ll show you how to get started and share some helpful resources.

What Is Microsoft Word?

You may be wondering: what type of program is Microsoft Word? A good definition is that it’s a word processor. That’s an application you use to “process”— format, manipulate, save, print, share — a text-based document. 

Microsoft Word is arguably the most popular word processor on the planet. That’s because it’s part of Microsoft’s Office Suite, which is installed in 1 billion devices in the world (according to groovyPost). 

When Word 1.0 for Windows was released in 1989, it was one of the first word processors that offered a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) interface. 

This combination of ease of use and robust features makes it the go-to word processor in both homes and offices today. It’s now also available for the Mac operating system as well as a web-based version through an Office 365 subscription.

What Is Microsoft Word Used For?

Now you’re ready to learn how to use MS Word. Use it to create many kinds of business and person documents. Here’s just a sampling of how to use it:

For Business or School

Microsoft Office’s Word is a great tool for creating business documents. Of course, you could design business and school documents from scratch. Or you could get a head start using a professionally designed template.

MS Word Proposal TemplateMS Word Proposal TemplateMS Word Proposal Template

This professionally designed template from Envato Elements ensures that you make the right impression.

You can also find templates to help you create the following:

  • letter
  • report or paper
  • proposal
  • newsletter 
  • brochure
  • catalog 
  • poster
  • flyer
  • postcard
  • sign 
  • banner 
  • resume
  • business card
  • invoice
  • receipt
  • product packaging
  • mailing label

For Personal Purposes

MS Word Gift CertificatesMS Word Gift CertificatesMS Word Gift Certificates

One of the uses of MS Word is to create gift certificates.

There are also many personal uses of MS Word. Here are just a few:

  • invitation
  • card
  • gift tag
  • recipe card
  • place card
  • certificates

As you can see, Microsoft Word comes in very handy for both your personal and professional lives!

How to Get Started Using Microsoft Word (+Top MS Word Features)

Microsoft Word has become more intuitive through the years. Even if you’re just starting to use it, you can easily figure things out and navigate your way through the simplest tasks. 

That said, it’s got a ton of features for the more advanced user. And you’re not aware of those features and how to use them, you can miss out on things that can make your workflow much easier.

1. Make Your Way Around: The Microsoft Word User Interface

Whichever version you’re using, the user interface is very similar:

What Is MS Word - InterfaceWhat Is MS Word - InterfaceWhat Is MS Word - Interface

The main menu gives you access to the major command groups:

  • file
  • edit
  • view
  • insert
  • format
  • tools
  • table
  • window
  • help

Click on any of these items to reveal more detailed commands. For example, when you click on File, you get the following options.

MS Word - File command optionsMS Word - File command optionsMS Word - File command options

Next, you see the Quick Access Toolbar lets complete frequently used tasks in Word with a single click. These include:

  • save
  • undo
  • redo
  • print
  • search

This is also where you see the title of the document you’re working on.

You can customize which buttons appear on your Quick Access Toolbar

1. Go to Word > Preferences….

Microsoft Word - File preferencesMicrosoft Word - File preferencesMicrosoft Word - File preferences

The Word Preferences dialog opens. 

2. Click on the Ribbon & Toolbar button.

MS Word Preferences dialogMS Word Preferences dialogMS Word Preferences dialog

The Ribbon & Toolbar dialog pops up. 

3. Click on the Quick Access Toolbar button.

Microsoft Word Ribbon  Toolbar dialogMicrosoft Word Ribbon  Toolbar dialogMicrosoft Word Ribbon  Toolbar dialog

4. Add, remove, or reorder the command buttons.

To add a button to your Quick Access Toolbar, find the command you wish to add from the left box. Click to select it, then click the right arrow. This moves it to the box on the right.

To remove a command from your Quick Access Toolbar, click on a command on the right. Then, click the left arrow.

You can also drag and drop the commands in your Quick Access Toolbar to change the order in which they appear.

5. When you’re done, click Save.

Next, you’ll find the tab and ribbon. Each tab displays a different ribbon of buttons for various related commands. For example, the Home tab displays this ribbon:

Follow the same steps above to customize the ribbon for each tab. Instead of selecting Quick Access Toolbar in the Ribbon & Toolbar dialog, click on the Ribbon button.

Let’s look at just some of the things you can do.

2. Create a New Document

You could fire up Microsoft Word and create a document from scratch. The interface is intuitive enough to figure out. But if you need it, here’s a quick guide to creating, opening, and saving files:

Earlier versions of Word create files in the DOC file format, a proprietary format. This means only Microsoft Word officially supported files with the DOC extension. But with some reverse engineering, other applications were able to open and save DOC files. That said, they may not fully support all its formatting and features.

Since 2007, Word started saving files as DOCX by default. The X stands for XML standard or Open Office Extensible Markup Language. 

DOCX makes for smaller files that are less prone to corruption. It can also be read by any robust word processor, like Google Docs. DOCX is now the standard file format of Word documents. Although, Word can save to DOC and other file formats as well (see Exporting to Other File Formats below).

3. Work With Text in MS Word

Microsoft Word shines when it comes to manipulating and formatting text. You can create the most basic, plain text-based documents to extremely creative layouts that previously required graphic design software.

Below are a few tutorials on the basics of working with text:

4. Go Beyond Text

Almost any document can benefit from the added impact of visuals. Read these articles to learn how to add and format pictures, as well as go beyond the basics with your layouts. 

And if you find yourself using Microsoft Word more and more, you’ll appreciate learning the keyboard shortcuts for your frequently used commands. Find out more below:

5. Print in Microsoft Word

You can print to standard-sized paper as well as custom sizes. Print on matte, glossy, or photo paper. You can even print large documents, such as a banner, by printing them on separate sheets that you then piece together.

To print a document:

1. Go to File > Print….

MS Word PrintMS Word PrintMS Word Print

The Print dialog opens.

Select your printer. Then choose the printer settings you want to use, including which pages to print, how many, and print quality.

2. Click Print.

6. Export to Other File Formats

Microsoft Word isn’t just for making printed documents! 

Thanks to the exporting feature, you can export your document to other file formats. The most common one is a PDF, which you can upload to a website, email, or share in other ways.

Follow these steps to export your document:

1. Go to File > Save As….

The Save As dialog appears.

2. Choose a file format.

Give your document a name. Then, click on the File Format drop-down menu to display all the different formats you can export to. Select the format you want to use, then click Save.

Go to the Next Level With Word Templates

If you want to take your documents to the next level without getting a graphic design degree yourself, then use a template.

The best templates are created by professional designers who make the biggest design decisions for you: fonts, colors, formatting, image placement, and more. All you’ve got to do is to add your own text and images, customize the formatting elements as you see fit, and you have a professional-looking document. Read this article on how to use Microsoft Word templates:

For best results, use a premium Word template. These are specifically designed to be customizable. They often come with after-sales support from the designers. 

A great source of premium templates is Envato Elements. For one small monthly subscription, get unlimited downloads of templates and other design pieces you need, such as fonts, photos, and more.

Word templates from Envato ElementsWord templates from Envato ElementsWord templates from Envato Elements

Get unlimited downloads of premium Word templates at Envato Elements.

For one-off projects, consider the Word templates from GraphicRiver. Here, you can access thousands of templates and other design tools, but on a pay-per-use basis.

5 Top Microsoft Word Templates from Envato Elements in 2021

Envato Elements has most of the templates you’ll need for any project in MS Word. Here are five different types of premium templates that can be used in Microsoft Word:

1. Word Resume

Microsoft Word ResumeMicrosoft Word ResumeMicrosoft Word Resume

Edit this resume in Microsoft Word and in Adobe InDesign. The design of this template is minimal and modern. This template comes with a picture placeholder where you can add your image. Everything can be easily edited as needed.

2.  Product Catalog

Microsoft Word Product Catalog TemplateMicrosoft Word Product Catalog TemplateMicrosoft Word Product Catalog Template

If you’re looking for a product catalog, consider this one. Here are some features of this MS Word template:

  • US letter size (8.5″ x 11″)
  • 12 pages to add information on
  • can be edited in Microsoft Word and Adobe InDesign

This template comes with a customer feedback page, membership information page, terms & policies page, and a bestsellers page.

3. Flower Word Wedding Invitation

Microsoft Word Flower Wedding TemplateMicrosoft Word Flower Wedding TemplateMicrosoft Word Flower Wedding Template

Another use for templates in Microsoft Word is an invitation template. The Flower Word Wedding Invitation is a premium invitation template. This template has a simple and elegant design. The size of this template is A4 paper size, which can be folded and put in an envelope or passed out like a flyer. 

4. Business Brochure

Microsoft Word Business Brochure TemplateMicrosoft Word Business Brochure TemplateMicrosoft Word Business Brochure Template

Another template useful in Microsoft Word is a brochure that can be used to give any type of information. Here are some highlights of this templates:

  • both US letter size (8.5″ x 11″) and A4 size (8.27″ x 11.69″)
  • 16 pages you can add information on
  • edit it in Microsoft Word and Adobe InDesign

You can easily edit everything in this template to fit the project you’re working on.

5. Clean and Minimal Business Invoice

Microsoft Word Clean and Minimal Business Invoice TemplateMicrosoft Word Clean and Minimal Business Invoice TemplateMicrosoft Word Clean and Minimal Business Invoice Template

The Clean and Minimal Business Invoice can be edited in Adobe InDesign and Microsoft Word. This template has a professional and clean look. The size of this template is US letter size (8.5″ x 11″), meaning it can be easily mailed in an envelope. This template comes with some icons at the bottom of the page.  

5 Ways You Can Customize Your Premium Template 

Customizing your template is a way to add a personal touch to your template. In this tutorial, we’ll use the CV Resume Word Template.

The Word Resume is a premium Microsoft Word template from Envato Elements.The Word Resume is a premium Microsoft Word template from Envato Elements.The Word Resume is a premium Microsoft Word template from Envato Elements.

The CV Resume Word is a premium Microsoft Word template from Envato Elements.

Here’s what the template looks like without any edits made:

This is what the premium Microsoft Word template looks like without any edits made.This is what the premium Microsoft Word template looks like without any edits made.This is what the premium Microsoft Word template looks like without any edits made.

This is what the premium CV Resume Word template looks like without any edits made.

Let’s get started on some customizations:

1. Insert a Headshot Image

A way to customize your template is to add your headshot image.A way to customize your template is to add your headshot image.A way to customize your template is to add your headshot image.

A way to customize your template is to add your headshot image.

There’s an image area that you can add your image to in this template. Add an image by clicking on the Insert tab in the top left corner of your window. Next, click on the Insert Picture button located below the toolbar.

When you click on Insert Picture, a menu drops down. Select the correct option for you depending on where your image is located. Once you’ve located your image, double click. You can resize and move the image as needed.

2. Add Your Information

Adding your information is an important step of customizing your Microsoft Word Template.Adding your information is an important step of customizing your Microsoft Word Template.Adding your information is an important step of customizing your Microsoft Word Template.

Adding your information is an important step of customizing your Microsoft Word Template.

To add your information, you need to delete the text that is already there. To delete text, highlight the text that you want to get rid of.

After the text is highlighted, press Delete on your keyboard. Next, click on the Insert tab in the top left corner of your window. Then, click on the Draw a Textbox button below the toolbar in the right side of your window.

Finally, click on where you want to add the textbox and draw a diagonal line to add the text box. Now, click in the text box and start typing.

3. Use the Spelling and Grammar Check

Proper spelling and grammar are important to have in your resume.Proper spelling and grammar are important to have in your resume.Proper spelling and grammar are important to have in your resume.

Proper spelling and grammar are important to have in your resume.

Bad spelling and grammar can cause an employer not to hire you. Microsoft Word has a helpful feature that’ll check spelling and grammar for you. 

To begin using the spelling and grammar check, highlight all the text that you want to check for errors. Next, click on the Review tab. The first button on the left side of the window under the toolbar is the Spelling & Grammar button. Click on the Spelling & Grammar button.

When you have proper spelling and grammar your resume looks more professional.When you have proper spelling and grammar your resume looks more professional.When you have proper spelling and grammar your resume looks more professional.

When you’ve got proper spelling and grammar your resume looks more professional.

When you click on the Spelling & Grammar button, it’ll check the highlighted text for errors. When it’s done, a pop-up window pops up. Click on the correct spelling of the word and click on the Add button.

Keep repeating the previous step until every error is fixed. Then click on the Close button.

4. Change the Font 

An easy way to customize your your Microsoft Word template is to change the font.An easy way to customize your your Microsoft Word template is to change the font.An easy way to customize your your Microsoft Word template is to change the font.

An easy way to customize your Microsoft Word template is to change the font.

Changing the font is the easiest way to customize your Microsoft Word template.

First, highlight the text that you want to change the font of. Next, click on the Home tab in the toolbar. The Home tab is the first option in the toolbar on the left side of your window.

Then click on the arrow next to the font menu. Clicking on the arrow next to the font menu causes a menu of fonts to drop down. Choose the font that you want from the drop-down menu. 

5. Delete an Object

Deleting an object can make your Microsoft Word template cleaner.Deleting an object can make your Microsoft Word template cleaner.Deleting an object can make your Microsoft Word template cleaner.

Deleting an object can make your Microsoft Word template cleaner.

Deleting an object that you don’t want can help you open up your Microsoft Word template layout. To get rid of an object, click on the object that you want to delete. When the object is collected, click the Delete key.

How to Get Microsoft Word Help and Support

Microsoft Word brings powerful word processing tools at your fingertips. But more features also mean more complexity. Fortunately for us, Microsoft provides a Help & Learning page. Here, you’ll find training, access to a community of other users, and a way to get support.

Microsoft Word Help and SupportMicrosoft Word Help and SupportMicrosoft Word Help and Support

The Microsoft Word Help & Learning page provides tutorials and access to technical support.

Good-Looking, High-Impact Documents at Your Fingertips

For beginners and advanced users alike, Word continues to be the top word processor in the world. Its intuitive features allow you to create visually attractive and effective documents.

You can create a document from scratch or shortcut the process by using a template. For unlimited downloads of templates and other design ingredients, subscribe to Envato Elements. But if you need a template for a single use, then GraphicRiver may be a better source for you. Why not download your favorite template today and get started?

Editorial Note: This post was originally published in April of 2020 It’s been updated with contributions from Sarah Joy. Sarah is a freelance instructor for Envato Tuts+.

What Does Microsoft Word Mean?

Microsoft Word is a widely used commercial word processor designed by Microsoft. Microsoft Word is a component of the Microsoft Office suite of productivity software, but can also be purchased as a stand-alone product.

Microsoft Word was initially launched in 1983, and has since been revised numerous times. It is available for both Windows and Apple operating systems.

Microsoft Word is often called simply Word or MS Word.

Techopedia Explains Microsoft Word

In 1981, Microsoft hired Charles Simonyi to develop a word-processing application. The first version was released in 1983.

Initially, MS Word was not very popular, owing to its radically different look compared to WordPerfect, the leading word processor at that time. However, Microsoft improved Word continually over the years, including a 1985 version that could run on a Mac. The second major release of Word, in 1987, included an upgrade of major features, in addition to new functionalities such as support for rich text format (RTF).

In 1995, Microsoft increased its market share in the word processor business with the release of Windows 95 and Office 95, which offered a bundled set of office productivity software.

Some features that have made MS Word useful include a WYSIWYG (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) display: this design ensures that everything displayed on screen appears the same way when printed or moved to another format or program. The ability of users to copy and paste MS Word content into many other platforms without significant formatting loss is one reason the software has stayed so popular in the last two decades.

In addition, MS Word has a built-in dictionary for spell checking; misspelled words are marked with a red squiggly underline. MS Word offers text-level features such as bold, underline, italic and strike-through, and page-level features such as indentation, paragraphing and justification. Word is compatible with many other programs, the most common being the other members of the Office suite.

In 2007, .docx became the default file format, replacing the “.doc” extension.

As Microsoft Word modernized over time, so did Microsoft operating systems. Since the Microsoft Office suite is inherently tied to the Microsoft operating system, its use featured in user frustrations around end-of-life for Microsoft XP and the successive Vista and Windows 7, 8 and 10 additions.

At the same time, Microsoft was getting on the cloud bandwagon. Its new offering, Microsoft Office 365, replaces old out of the box or single machine licensing methods with a cloud-delivered set of software applications that users can access from anywhere.

With subscription pricing, many customers are now accessing Microsoft Word and Office suites through office 365 instead of buying it through downloads with license keys. Theoretically, the cloud-delivered method allows for more versatile use on multiple devices, although some users have reported trouble trying to get new devices authorized.

One other popular aspect of the cloud-delivered software is that there’s no need to load it onto the local hard drive, leaving the end device less cluttered by drivers and other types of software infrastructure. At the same time, Microsoft has added other complementary cloud applications like OneNote, OneDrive and SharePoint for enterprise users, and a mobile Office suite for Apple and Android.

[Master the most popular Word Processing tool in no time, with this A-Z Microsoft Word Course from Udemy]

Updated: 11/06/2021 by

Microsoft Word

Sometimes called Winword, MS Word, or Word, Microsoft Word is a word processor published by Microsoft. It is one of the office productivity applications included in the Microsoft Office suite. Originally developed by Charles Simonyi and Richard Brodie, it was first released in 1983.

Microsoft Word is available for Microsoft Windows, Apple macOS, Android, and Apple iOS. It can also run on the Linux operating system using WINE.

What is Microsoft Word used for?

Microsoft Word lets you create professional-quality documents, reports, letters, and résumés. Unlike a plain text editor, Microsoft Word has features including spell check, grammar check, text and font formatting, HTML support, image support, advanced page layout, and more.

What does the Microsoft Word editor look like?

Below is an overview of a Microsoft Word 2010 document.

Microsoft Word document diagram

Where do you find or start Microsoft Word?

If you have Microsoft Word or the entire Microsoft Office package installed on Microsoft Windows, you can access Microsoft Word in your Start menu.

Keep in mind that new computers do not include Microsoft Word. It must be purchased and installed before running it on your computer. If you do not want (or cannot afford) to purchase Microsoft Word, you can use a limited version for free at the Microsoft Office website.

If Microsoft Word is installed on your computer, but you can’t find it in your Start menu, use the following steps to launch Microsoft Word manually.

  1. Open My Computer or File Explorer.
  2. Click or select the C: drive. If Microsoft Office is installed on a drive other than the C: drive, select that drive instead.
  3. Find and open the Program Files (x86) or Program Files folder.
  4. Open the Microsoft Office folder.
  5. In the Microsoft Office folder, open the root folder. Then open the OfficeXX folder, where XX is the version of Microsoft Office (e.g., Office16 for Microsoft Office 2016) installed on your computer.

Tip

If there is no root folder, look for and open the folder with Office in the folder name.

  1. Find and double-click the file named WINWORD.EXE to start the Microsoft Word program.

How to open Microsoft Word without using a mouse

  1. Press the Windows key.
  2. Type Word and select the Microsoft Word entry in the search results.
  3. If Microsoft Word does not open after selecting it in the search results, press Enter to launch it.

What are the uses of Microsoft Word?

Microsoft Word is a word processor, and, like other word processors, it’s capable of helping users create a variety of different types of documents. For example, users can create a résumé, business contract, instruction document, or a letter to another person. We’ve included a list of the top uses of a word processor on our word processor page.

How many lines are there on a page in Microsoft Word?

By default, there are 29 lines on one page in Microsoft Word.

What type of files can Microsoft Word create and use?

Early versions of Microsoft Word primarily created and used the .doc file extension, while newer versions of Word create and use the .docx file extension.

More recent versions of Microsoft Word support the creation and opening of these types of files:

  • .doc, .docm, .docx
  • .dot, .dotm, .dotx
  • .htm, .html
  • .mht, .mhtml
  • .odt
  • .pdf
  • .rtf
  • .txt
  • .wps
  • .xps
  • .xml

Example of a Microsoft Word .doc file

We created a Microsoft Word document that you can download and open in most word processor programs, including Microsoft Word. Click the link below to download the example Word document and experiment more with a word processing document.

  • Download example.doc

Why use Word instead of a plain-text editor?

Microsoft Word offers many features not found in a traditional text editor or a plain-text file. Some advantages include changing the formatting (e.g., center), editing the font type, size, and color, inserting pictures, and more.

Tip

The features above are also available in a rich-text editor, such as WordPad, which is included with Microsoft Windows.

Why use Word instead of a WordPad?

A rich-text editor, like WordPad, offers many of the same basic features as Microsoft Word. Where Microsoft Word differs is the ability to do more advanced features. The advanced features include mail merges, spellchecker, styles, tables, headers & footers, WordArt, columns, margins, and more.

What are the different versions of Microsoft Word?

Microsoft Word has had several versions throughout its history. The different releases with release dates are listed below.

Windows versions

Word 2016 and 97

  • Word 2019, released in 2018
  • Office 365 and Word 2016, released in 2016
  • Word 2013, released in 2013
  • Word 2010, released in 2010
  • Word 2007, released in 2006
  • Word 2003, released in 2003
  • Word 2002, released in 2001
  • Word 2000, released in 1999
  • Word 98, released in 1998
  • Word 97, released in 1997
  • Word 95, released in 1995
  • Word 6.0, released in 1993
  • Word 2.0, released in 1991
  • Word 1.1, released in 1990
  • Word 1.0, originally invented for MS-DOS and Xenix in 1983 by Charles Simonyi and Richard Brodie, working for Bill Gates and Paul Allen. Word was released in the Windows OS in 1989

Mac versions

Word 1.0

  • Word 2019, released in 2018
  • Word 2016, released in 2015
  • Word 2011, released in 2010
  • Word 2008, released in 2008
  • Word 2004, released in 2004
  • Word v. X, released in 2001
  • Word 2001, released in 2000
  • Word 98, released in 1998
  • Word 6, released in 1993
  • Word 5.1, released in 1992
  • Word 5, released in 1991
  • Word 4, released in 1989
  • Word 3, released in 1987
  • Word 1, released in 1985

Desktop publishing, Editor, Google Docs, Office, Office 365, Office Online, Software terms, WordPad, Word processor, Word processor terms


Asked by: Mr. Morris Murphy Jr.

Score: 4.6/5
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Microsoft Word is a word processing software developed by Microsoft. It was first released on October 25, 1983, under the name Multi-Tool Word for Xenix systems.

What is Microsoft Word used for?

Microsoft Word or MS Word is a popular word-processing program used mainly for creating documents, such as brochures, letters, learning activities, quizzes, tests, and students’ homework assignments. It was first released in 1983 and is one of Microsoft Office suite’s applications.

What is Microsoft Word Meaning?

Microsoft Word is a widely used commercial word processor designed by Microsoft. Microsoft Word is a component of the Microsoft Office suite of productivity software, but can also be purchased as a stand-alone product. … Microsoft Word is often called simply Word or MS Word.

What are the five uses of Microsoft Word?

Given below are the basic functions of Microsoft Word:

  • Creating text documents.
  • Editing and Formatting the existing documents.
  • Making a text document interactive with different features and tools.
  • Graphical documents, comprising images.
  • Used by Authors and Researchers.
  • Detect grammatical errors in a text document.

What is Microsoft Word and example of?

Microsoft Word is a word processor, and, like other word processors, it’s capable of helping users create a variety of different types of documents. For example, users can create a résumé, business contract, instruction document, or a letter to another person.

18 related questions found

What are 10 features of Microsoft Word?

What are 10 features of Microsoft Word?

  • Changing case.
  • Create a custom tab.
  • Quick parts.
  • Add placeholder text.
  • Edit wrap points when wrapping text.
  • Convert a list to a table.
  • Convert a bulleted list to SmartArt.
  • Quick selection methods.

What is Microsoft Word Introduction?

Introduction to Microsoft Word is a two (2) to four (4) hour course designed to familiarize you with the terminology, screen components and the most commonly used functions offered by Microsoft Word. Emphasis will be placed on proper document formatting techniques and file naming and file management conventions.

How do you create a Microsoft Word document?

Create a document

  1. Open Word. Or, if Word is already open, select File > New.
  2. In the Search for online templates box, enter a search word like letter, resume, or invoice. Or, select a category under the search box like Business, Personal, or Education.
  3. Click a template to see a preview. …
  4. Select Create.

What is MS Word in answer?

Microsoft Word or MS Word (often called Word) is a graphical word processing program that users can type with. It is made by the computer company Microsoft. Its purpose is to allow users to type and save documents. Similar to other word processors, it has helpful tools to make documents.

What is a word give example?

The definition of a word is a letter or group of letters that has meaning when spoken or written. An example of a word is dog. … An example of a word is dog. An example of words are the seventeen sets of letters that are written to form this sentence.

What is the example of MS Word?

The correct answer is Application Software. MS Word is an example of application software developed by the company Microsoft. It allows users to type and save documents.

What is difference between word and Excel?

MS Word is a processing software which is used for writing letters, essay, notes, etc. Whereas, MS Excel is a spreadsheet software where a large amount of data or information can be saved in a systematic tabular manner in numerical and alphabetical values.

What is MS-WORD with diagram?

Diagrams are graphics that convey information. Business documents often include diagrams to clarify concepts, describe processes, and show hierarchical relationships. Word 2016 includes a powerful diagramming feature called SmartArt that you can use to create diagrams directly in your documents.

What is MS-WORD PDF?

Abstract. Microsoft Word is a word processing software package. You can use it to type letters, reports, and other documents.

How do you use Microsoft Word?

Use the left button on the mouse to click on the Start button. Then click on programmes and then double-click on the MSWORD programme. Some computers have a MSWORD symbol that will come up when your computer is on and you do not have to go to start – simply double click the left button of the mouse on the symbol.

How do you use a Word document?

Basic tasks in Word

  1. Start a document. It’s often easier to create a new document using a template instead of starting with a blank page. …
  2. Open a document. Every time you start Word, you’ll see a list of your most recently used documents in the left column. …
  3. Save a document. …
  4. Read documents.

What are the advantages of MS Word explain?

One of the advantages of using Microsoft Word is that it is available practically everywhere. Word comes standard on many PCs. You can typically find it on your work computer, computers at school and your home PC. This makes it easy to save documents on a flash drive, take them with you and work on them somewhere else.

What are the parts of Microsoft Word?

  • The Title Bar. At the very top of the screen is the title bar. …
  • Menu Bar. When you first start Word, the menus and toolbars display basic commands and buttons. …
  • Toolbars. The Standard Toolbar. …
  • The Horizontal Ruler. …
  • The Vertical Ruler. …
  • Vertical Scroll Bar. …
  • Horizontal Scroll Bar. …
  • The Status Bar.

Is Microsoft Word free?

Much like Google Docs, Microsoft has Office Online and in order to access it all you need to do is sign up for a free Microsoft account. You can use Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook at no cost.

What is MS Office and its uses?

Microsoft Office is a set of computer applications mainly used for business or office purposes. First introduced in 1990, Office software is made by the Microsoft Corporation. MS Office helps simplify basic office tasks and improve work productivity.

What is the difference between PowerPoint and Word?

Ms word creates text based documents and MS PowerPoint creates presentation. Users use Ms word when they need to make reports, letters, while MS powerpoint is used when they have to make presentations. Ms work use for office work data storage and Ms PowerPoint use for slide and presentation graph etc.

Can we make ppt in Word?

Import a Word outline into PowerPoint

In the Insert Outline dialog box, find and select your Word outline and select Insert. Note: If your Word document contains no Heading 1 or Heading 2 styles, PowerPoint will create a slide for each paragraph in your content.

What is types of words?

The Eight Parts of Speech

  • NOUN.
  • PRONOUN.
  • VERB.
  • ADJECTIVE.
  • ADVERB.
  • PREPOSITION.
  • CONJUNCTION.
  • INTERJECTION.

Microsoft Word is a word processing program that was first developed by Microsoft in 1983. Since that time, Microsoft has released an abundance of updated versions, each offering more features and incorporating better technology than the one before it. The most current web-based version of Microsoft Word is Microsoft 365, but the software version of Microsoft Office 2019 includes Word 2019.

Microsoft Word is included in all of the Microsoft 365 application suites. The most basic (and least expensive) suites also include Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Excel. Additional suites exist and include other Office programs, such as Microsoft Outlook and Skype for Business.

 Lifewire

Do you need Microsoft Word?

If you only want to create simple documents, consisting of paragraphs with bulleted and numbered lists with very little formatting, you don’t need to purchase Microsoft Word. You can use the WordPad application included with Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10. If you need to do more than that though, you’ll need a more powerful word processing program.

With Microsoft Word you can choose from a variety of preconfigured styles and designs, which provides an easy way to format long documents with just a single click. You can also insert pictures and videos from your computer and the internet, draw shapes, and create an insert all kinds of charts.

If you’re writing a book or creating a brochure, which you can’t do effectively (or at all) in WordPad or an application like Abiword, you can use the features in Microsoft Word to set margins and tabs, insert page breaks, create columns, and even configure the spacing between lines. There are also features that let you create a table of contents with a single click. You can insert footnotes too, as well as headers and footers. There are options to create bibliographies, captions, a table of figures, and even cross-references.

If any of these things sound like what you’d like to do with your next writing project, then you’re going to need Microsoft Word.

Do You Have Microsoft Word?

You might already have a version of Microsoft Word on your computer, tablet, or even your phone. Before you make a purchase you should find out.

To see if you have Microsoft Word installed on your Windows device:

  1. From the Search window on the Taskbar (Windows 10), the Start screen (Windows 8.1), or from the Search window on the Start menu (Windows 7), type msinfo32 and press Enter.

  2. Click the + sign beside Software Environment.

  3. Click Program Groups.

  4. Look for a Microsoft Office entry.

To find out if you have a version of Word on your Mac, look for it in the Finder sidebar, under Applications.

Where to Get Microsoft Word

If you are sure you don’t already have it, you can get the latest version of Microsoft Word with Microsoft 365. Microsoft 365 is a subscription though, something you pay for monthly. If you’re not interested in paying monthly, consider purchasing Office outright. You can compare and purchase all of the available editions and suites at the Microsoft Store. If you want to wait though, you can get Microsoft Word 2019 during the latter part of 2018 by purchasing the Microsoft Office 2019 suite.

Some employers, community colleges, and universities offer Microsoft 365 free to their employees and students.

The History of Microsoft Word

Over the years there have been many versions of the Microsoft Office suite. Most of these versions came with lower-priced suites that only included the most basic apps (often Word, PowerPoint, and Excel), to higher priced suites that included some or all of them (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, OneNote, SharePoint, Exchange, Skype, and more). These suite editions had names like “Home and Student” or “Personal”, or “Professional”. There are too many combinations to list here, but what’s important to note is that Word is included with any suite you can buy.

Here are the recent Microsoft Office Suites that also contain Word:

  • Microsoft Word 365) is available and updated regularly in Microsoft 365
  • Word Online is a free limited version.
  • Word 2019 is available in Office 2019
  • Word 2016 is available in Office 2016
  • Word 2013 was available in Office 2013
  • Word 2010 was available in Office 2010
  • Word 2007 was included with Office 2007
  • Word 2003 was included with Office 2003
  • Word 2002 was included in Office XP

Of course, Microsoft Word has existed in some form since the early 1980s and has had versions for most platforms (even from before Microsoft Windows existed).

FAQ

  • What can I do if Microsoft Word is not responding?

    A corrupt file or incompatible add-in might cause Word to stop responding. You can fix it by restarting Word in Safe Mode and disabling add-ins. Another option is to go to Settings in Windows > Apps & Features > Microsoft Office (or Microsoft 365) > Modify and follow the steps to repair Office applications.

  • What can I do when Microsoft Word isn’t responding, and I haven’t saved my document?

    To recover an unsaved document, close and restart Word, go to File > Manage Documents > Recover Unsaved Documents. Open the document if it’s listed. If it’s not listed, go to File > Open > Browse and search for a backup of the file.

  • What does a macro do in Microsoft Word?

    A Word macro records a series of commands that you can play to automate frequent procedures, such as formatting, inserting tables, or adding watermarks. To create or add a macro in Word, go to View > Macros > View Macros > Macros in > Word Commands.

  • How do I check my writing’s grade level on Microsoft Word?

    In a Word document, go to File > Options > Proofing. Select Check grammar with spelling and Show readability statistics. Now, whenever Word completes a spelling and grammar check, a pop-up window will display with info about the document’s reading level.

Thanks for letting us know!

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Sir Sherwin's Computer Tutorial: Operating a Word ...

Sir Sherwin’s Computer Tutorial: Operating a Word … from 4.bp.blogspot.com
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Definition of microsoft word in the definitions.net dictionary.

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Microsoft Word shortcut keys

Microsoft Word shortcut keys from www.computerhope.com
What does microsoft word actually mean? Some say that microsoft word or ms word is a word processing package while others said it is an application package designed by microsoft all these definitions are correct but the general accepted definition is the one that says that microsoft word or ms word is a computer application. If microsoft word is installed on your computer, but you can’t find it in your start menu, use the following steps to launch microsoft word manually. Definition of microsoft word the most popular word processor from microsoft. It is made by the computer company microsoft. The creation, input, editing, and production of documents and texts by means of computer systems. In computing, a word is the natural unit of data used by a particular processor design. Since then, several versions of word have been released for both the windows and macintosh platforms.

It is microsoft’s flagship word processing software.

That situation changed dramatically with the introduction of microsoft word for windows in 1989. Before you get started with microsoft word (commonly referred to as ms word), you will need to locate and open it from the computer. Definition of microsoft word the most popular word processor from microsoft. The ribbon is the strip of buttons and icons located above the work area in word 2007. What does microsoft word actually mean? Documents can be created, saved, and edited at the desire of the creator from a blank document or via one of the many wizards. It can be done by adding shadows, reflections microsoft word processing is down loading microsoft word to your computer. Microsoft word’s native file formats are denoted either by a.doc or.docx file extension. The definition of text effects in microsoft word is changing the look of text. The purpose of the ms word is to allow the the utilization of microsoft word in authentic works is truly simple and profitable other than some other word preparing to program. It is made by the computer company microsoft. Definition of microsoft word in the definitions.net dictionary. Microsoft word is a widely used commercial word processor designed by microsoft.

The purpose of the ms word is to allow the the utilization of microsoft word in authentic works is truly simple and profitable other than some other word preparing to program. Definition of microsoft word in the definitions.net dictionary. The program enables you to perform word processing functions. Use microsoft word for the best word processing and document creation. A powerful word processor from microsoft.

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Documents can be created, saved, and edited at the desire of the creator from a blank document or via one of the many wizards. The creation, input, editing, and production of documents and texts by means of computer systems. This application developed for word processing, without a doubt, the most used around the world, and a standard for the rest. When a computer architecture is designed, the choice of a word size is of substantial importance. All micosoft definitions learn with flashcards, games and more — for free. Each ribbon contains groups of command buttons with common purpose. Definitions for microsoft word mi·crosoft word. Microsoft word’s native file formats are denoted either by a.doc or.docx file extension.

The ribbon replaces the menus and toolbars found in earlier versions of word.

.can learn computer learn microsoft word 2010 learn microsoft excel 2010 learn ms powerpoint 2010 16 апр. The definition of text effects in microsoft word is changing the look of text. That’s because it’s part of microsoft’s office suite, which is installed in 1 billion devices in the world (according to groovypost). It is microsoft’s flagship word processing software. General, art, business, computing, medicine, miscellaneous, religion, science, slang, sports, tech, phrases. That situation changed dramatically with the introduction of microsoft word for windows in 1989. Microsoft word is a component of the microsoft office suite of the second major release of word, in 1987, included an upgrade of major features, in addition to new functionalities such as support for rich text format. Microsoft office is an application package that contains a series of software tools developed specifically for the tasks that get carried out in offices and all kinds. What does microsoft word actually mean? For example, microsoft’s windows api maintains the programming language definition of word as 16. It can be done by adding shadows, reflections microsoft word processing is down loading microsoft word to your computer. Word processing means in this software any text as like letter,book,report,notice,memo etc we can type.microsoft first time launched in 1981. Since then, several versions of word have been released for both the windows and macintosh platforms.

Microsoft Word является одним из наиболее распространённых программных продуктов для работы с текстом в мире. Он был разработан корпорацией Microsoft и выпущен в 1983 году. С тех пор он прошёл долгий путь развития и стал неотъемлемой частью повседневной работы для многих людей. В этой статье мы рассмотрим основные функции Microsoft Word, его преимущества и недостатки.

Интерфейс и основные функции

Microsoft Word предоставляет множество функций для работы с текстом, начиная от простого форматирования и заканчивая созданием сложных документов, таких как книги и научные статьи. Он имеет интуитивно понятный интерфейс, который легко освоить даже новичку.

В верхней части окна программы находятся все необходимые инструменты для работы с текстом, такие как кнопки форматирования, стилей, шрифтов и т.д. Там же есть меню, из которого можно открывать и сохранять документы, настраивать страницу, вставлять изображения и совершать многие другие действия.

Преимущества программы

Microsoft Word предлагает множество преимуществ пользователям, которые используют его для работы с текстом. Одним из основных преимуществ является его универсальность. Он может использоваться для создания любого типа документов, включая научные статьи, бизнес-документы, письма, резюме и т.д.

Кроме того, он имеет множество функций для форматирования, стилизации и вставки изображений, что делает его идеальным выбором для создания качественных документов. Также в нём есть мощный инструмент для проверки орфографии и пунктуации, что позволяет создавать профессиональные тексты без ошибок.

Недостатки

Хотя Microsoft Word имеет множество преимуществ, он также имеет некоторые недостатки. Один из них — это высокая стоимость. Не каждый может позволить себе приобрести лицензию на программу. Кроме того, Microsoft Word может оказаться сложным для некоторых пользователей, особенно для тех, кто никогда раньше не работал с подобными программами. Иногда пользователи могут столкнуться с проблемами, связанными с форматированием или работой с большими объёмами текста. Кроме того, для работы с программой требуется установленный на компьютере пакет Microsoft Office, что может быть неудобно для пользователей, работающих на других операционных системах.


Microsoft Word — отличный инструмент, который подойдёт тем, кто хочет легко и быстро создавать любые типы документов без ошибок и с возможностью форматирования и стилизации.


Теги:
Windows
Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word’s Definition

MS Word
MS Word

Definition:

Word Processor is a software that
helps you to create any type of written communication. Like a letter , a report
, a memo , or any other type of correspondence or text data.

Microsoft Word:

Microsoft Word
Processor is using for creating documents. It is also known as MS Word, is
developed by Microsoft. The first version of Microsoft Word was developed by
Charles Simonyi and Richard Brodie, former Xerox programmers hired by Bill
Gates and Paul Allen in 1981.

 Types of Word Processors:

There are four types of word
processors.

1. 
Word pad                      2.  Word Star                      3.  Word Prefect                               4.  Microsoft Word

In this Word Processors the
Microsoft Word is the most commonly use and popular Word Processor.

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What is Word?

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Overview

With Word on your PC, Mac, or mobile device, you can:

  • Create and format your document with Themes.

  • Review work with Track Changes.

  • Polish your words with proofing tools like Editor.

  • Save to OneDrive, to get your documents from your computer, tablet, or phone.

  • Share your work to chat, comment, and collaborate with others, wherever they are.

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What’s new in Word for Windows

Word Quick Start

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