Engineering English
API
Software Engineering · Last updated: July 30, 2026 · How this entry was written
Definition: A defined set of rules and interfaces that lets one software program request services or exchange data with another program.
Example in context
“The mobile app calls a weather API every hour to display current temperature and rain forecasts to users.”
“Mobil uygulama, kullanıcılara güncel sıcaklık ve yağış tahminlerini göstermek için her saat bir hava durumu API'sini çağırır.”
Where engineers use it
Fundamental to modern software integration: engineers design, publish, and consume APIs to connect services, share data between systems, and let external developers build on a platform safely.
Synonyms: application programming interface
Practice: can you use “API” at work?
You must let a partner company read your product inventory without accessing your database directly. Describe how an API solves this and what it should expose.
Show a model answer
“Our service exposes an API for other teams to consume.”
“API” in 21 languages
| English | API |
|---|---|
| Turkish | API |
| French | API |
| German | API |
| Spanish | API |
| Chinese | API |
| Arabic | API |
| Portuguese | API |
| Russian | API |
| Japanese | API |
| Italian | API |
| Vietnamese | API |
| Hindi | API |
| Thai | API |
| Indonesian | API |
| Korean | API |
| Bengali | API |
| Dutch | API |
| Swedish | API |
| Finnish | API |
| Ukrainian | API |
Frequently asked questions
What does API mean in engineering?
A defined set of rules and interfaces that lets one software program request services or exchange data with another program. In Software Engineering, the term carries a usage-frequency rating of 10/10 in the Engineering English library.
How do you pronounce API?
API is pronounced /ˌeɪpiːˈaɪ/ (IPA). The Engineering English app plays audio for the term and checks your pronunciation with speech recognition.
How is API used in a sentence?
Example from an engineering context: “The mobile app calls a weather API every hour to display current temperature and rain forecasts to users.”
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