Kernel
nounid
3062·updated May 9, 2026candidate
The essential center of a computer operating system, the core that provides basic services for all other parts of the operating system. A synonym is nucleus. A kernel can be contrasted with a shell, the outermost part of an operating system that interacts with user commands. Kernel and shell are terms used more frequently in Unix and some other operating systems than in IBM mainframe systems.
Classifications
Entity Type
System90%rule-basedr:entity.system.compute.v1
Sensitivity
unclassified
Information Class
unclassified
Variants
- plural
- Kernels
- possessive
- Kernel's
- pluralpossessive
- Kernels'
Framework definitions
- §1
- The essential center of a computer operating system, the core that provides basic services for all other parts of the operating system. A synonym is nucleus. A kernel can be contrasted with a shell, the outermost part of an operating system that interacts with user commands. Kernel and shell are terms used more frequently in Unix and some other operating systems than in IBM mainframe systems.
Outgoing relationships
No outgoing triples
This term is not the subject of any RDF-style relationship yet.
Incoming relationships
No incoming triples
No other term currently asserts a relationship to this one.