API
Definition
Application Programming Interface. A way for one piece of software to talk to another. When someone says "we connected our app to the ChatGPT API," they mean they wrote code that sends requests to ChatGPT and gets answers back — without anyone opening a browser. APIs are how AI gets built into apps, websites, and tools you already use.
Why It Matters
You don't need to use APIs yourself, but understanding the word helps you follow conversations about how AI is being integrated into everyday tools.
What does that look like in practice?
A weather app shows your forecast by quietly asking a weather service's API for the data, no browser required.
What people actually mean when they say this
When a developer says 'we plugged into the ChatGPT API,' they mean their software talks to ChatGPT in the background, so users never open ChatGPT themselves.
Last reviewed: March 2026
Knowing the word is just the start.
We help non-tech people go from looking things up to actually using AI confidently. Tutorials, prompts, plain English. All of it, for less than a cup of coffee a month.
Show Me How This Works →Start free. Cancel anytime. No judgment, ever.