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assembly language
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assembly language

computer language
Also known as: mnemonic language, second-generation language
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assembly language, type of low-level computer programming language consisting mostly of symbolic equivalents of a particular computerā€™s machine language. Computers produced by different manufacturers have different machine languages and require different assemblers and assembly languages. Some assembly languages can be used to convert the code that programmers write (source code) into machine language (readable by the computer) and have functions to facilitate programming (e.g., by combining a sequence of several instructions into one entity). Programming in assembly languages requires extensive knowledge of computer architecture.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Erik Gregersen.