Word.ws English Dictionary

pragma

/ˈpɹæɡmə/

pragma noun: a compiler directive; data embedded in source code by programmers to indicate some intention to a compiler.

Noun

pragma (plural pragmas or pragmata)

  1. A compiler directive; data embedded in source code by programmers to indicate some intention to a compiler.
    • This pragma stops the compiler from generating those warnings we don't care about.
    • […]users may also want to disable functionality such as function inlining via either a compiler command line option or compiler pragma, depending on the build tools system and functionality supported.2012, Robert Oshana, DSP for Embedded and Real-Time Systems, Elsevier, →ISBN, page 218
    Synonyms:
    pragmat
  2. (Internet) In early versions of HTTP, a general header that specifies some implementation-specific directive, to any recipient, and may specify that the HTTP response should not be cached.
    • It is not possible to specify a pragma for a specific recipient; however, any pragma directive not relevant to a recipient should be ignored by that recipient.1996 May, T. Berners-Lee, R. Fielding, H. Frystyk, “Hypertext Transfer Protocol — HTTP/1.0”, in RFC Editor, →ISSN, RFC 1945
  3. (uncommon) A practical thing or action, as opposed to theory or belief (dogma).
    • At any given minute, we must choose between habitual action and thoughtful action, between Dogma and Pragma.1939, Jacques Barzun, Of Human Freedom, Boston: Little, Brown and Company, page 129
    • "If it is practical, a pragma, it is a thing and not a theory."1961 April, R. A. Lafferty, “All the People”, in Galaxy Science Fiction

Synonyms of pragma

Forms of pragma

pluralpragmas
pluralpragmata

Origin of pragma

From Ancient Greek πρᾶγμα (prâgma, “a thing done, a fact”). In the technical senses perhaps a back-formation from pragmatic or a clipping of pragmat used earlier in ALGOL.

Questions about pragma

What does pragma mean?
Pragma means a compiler directive; data embedded in source code by programmers to indicate some intention to a compiler.
What part of speech is pragma?
Pragma is a noun.
How do you pronounce pragma?
Pragma is pronounced /ˈpɹæɡmə/.
What is the plural of pragma?
The plural of pragma is pragmas.

Words near pragma in the dictionary

  1. Pragers
  2. Pragga-Wagga
  3. Pragger-Wagger
  4. Pragian
  5. Pragjyotisha
  6. pragma
  7. pragmalinguist
  8. pragmalinguistic
  9. pragmalinguistically
  10. pragmalinguistics
  11. pragmalinguists

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: pragma (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-pragma.wav.

Cite this entry: “pragma.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/pragma. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.