beta

/ˈbeɪdə/

/ˈbitə/

Other forms: betas

Beta is the second letter of the Greek alphabet. It also refers to a preliminary model of software or hardware that's being tested but is not quite a finished product.

The Greek letter beta, β, is used in several fields, including statistics, physics, finance, and geometry, to represent different things. Because it's the second letter in the Greek alphabet, right after alpha, it's often used to mean "secondary" or "second in order" — as in a "beta particle," the second type of radiation discovered by Ernest Rutherford. In technology, a beta version of software is in the secondary testing phase, when it's a nearly complete prototype. A company may let some people use the beta version to help work out some kinks before releasing the final version.

Definitions of beta

1. noun

   the second letter of the Greek alphabet
   type of:

   alphabetic character, letter, letter of the alphabet

   the conventional characters of the alphabet used to represent speech
2. adjective

   second in order of importance
   “the candidate, considered a beta male, was perceived to be unable to lead his party to victory”

   synonyms:

   important, of import

   of great significance or value
3. adjective

   relating to a preliminary or testing stage of a software or hardware product
   “a beta version”

   “beta software”

   synonyms:

   explorative, exploratory

   serving in or intended for exploration or discovery
4. noun

   a preliminary or testing stage of a software or hardware product