noun
sudo
SOO-doo
noun
1
A command in Unix-like operating systems that lets an authorized user run a task with another user's (usually the administrator's) permissions.
"You need sudo to install software system-wide on most Linux distributions."
verb
1
To run a command using sudo.
"Just sudo that command and enter your password."
How to Use Sudo
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA command that temporarily gives you administrator-level permission to run something.
When to use it
Technical/computing term, used mainly by developers and system administrators.
Common pairings
sudo apt-get
run as sudo
sudo access
Word Forms
sudoed past tense, Sudos plural, sudos singular
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You need _____ to install software system-wide on most Linux distributions.
Etymology
Originally read as a blend of "superuser" and "do"; now more commonly understood as short for "substitute user, do."