Okuzeka
Software Engineering vocabulary · Web, Mobile and Interface Development

Asynchronous

Meaning in software engineering, with examples

/eɪˈsɪŋkrənəs/adjectiveCommon term

In software engineering, asynchronous means: Describes code that starts a task, such as loading data, and goes on running other code instead of waiting for that task to finish.

In Turkish: asenkron, eşzamansız

How it is used

Often shortened to async, which is also a JavaScript keyword: async functions use await to pause until a promise settles. Network requests, timers and file reads are typical asynchronous operations.

Example sentences

  1. The data is undefined because the request is asynchronous and hasn't finished yet.

  2. Wrap the asynchronous call in try/catch so you can show an error message.

Common collocations

  • asynchronous code
  • asynchronous request
  • async function
  • async/await
  • promiseA JavaScript object that stands for a result that is not ready yet, such as data from a server, and that later succeeds or fails.
  • fetchTo request and receive data from a server or API, for example the latest messages or a list of products, often while the page is already open.
  • JavaScriptThe programming language that runs in every web browser and makes pages interactive; with Node.js it also runs on servers.
  • eventSomething that happens in the browser and that code can react to, such as a click, a key press, a form submission or the page finishing loading.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Web, Mobile and Interface Development

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: