# PowerShell

URL: https://softwaredictionary.org/terms/powershell
Category: Programming Languages
Last updated: 2026-10-03
Pronunciation: POW-er-shel

In short: PowerShell is Microsoft's command-line shell and scripting language for automating administration, passing objects rather than plain text between commands.

## What is PowerShell?

Windows PowerShell 1.0 was released in 2006 as a modern replacement for the old Windows command prompt. In 2016 Microsoft made it open source and cross-platform; the current line, PowerShell 7, runs on Windows, macOS and Linux and is started with the `pwsh` command.

Its commands, called cmdlets, follow a Verb-Noun pattern that makes them easy to guess: `Get-Process`, `Stop-Service`, `New-Item`. The big difference from Unix shells is the object pipeline. `Get-Process | Where-Object CPU -gt 100 | Sort-Object CPU` passes .NET objects with properties from one command to the next, so there is no need to parse text with tools such as `awk`.

PowerShell is the standard way to automate Windows servers, Active Directory, Microsoft 365, Exchange and Azure, and many administrators use it daily. Scripts are saved as `.ps1` files, modules are shared through the PowerShell Gallery, and it can call any .NET library directly.

A common misconception is that PowerShell is only for Windows. PowerShell 7 runs on Linux and macOS too, although some Windows-specific modules don't. Its default execution policy on Windows can block unsigned scripts, which surprises newcomers; it is a safety setting, not a sign that scripts are broken.

## Key takeaways

- PowerShell is Microsoft's shell and scripting language, first released in 2006.
- PowerShell 7 is open source and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.
- Cmdlets use Verb-Noun names such as Get-Process.
- The pipeline passes .NET objects, not text, between commands.
- It is the standard tool for automating Windows, Microsoft 365 and Azure.

## Example: Working with objects in the pipeline

```powershell
# The five processes using the most memory, as objects with properties
Get-Process |
  Sort-Object WorkingSet64 -Descending |
  Select-Object -First 5 Name, Id, @{ Name = 'MemoryMB'; Expression = { [math]::Round($_.WorkingSet64 / 1MB) } }

# Find large log files and export the list to CSV
Get-ChildItem -Path C:\Logs -Filter *.log -Recurse |
  Where-Object Length -gt 50MB |
  Export-Csv -Path big-logs.csv -NoTypeInformation
```

## Frequently asked questions

**What is the difference between PowerShell and Bash?**

Bash passes plain text between commands, while PowerShell passes structured objects. Bash is the standard on Linux and macOS; PowerShell is the standard on Windows and also runs on other systems.

**What is the difference between Windows PowerShell and PowerShell 7?**

Windows PowerShell 5.1 ships with Windows and is built on the .NET Framework. PowerShell 7 is the newer, open-source, cross-platform version built on modern .NET, and it is where new features are added.

**What is a cmdlet?**

A built-in PowerShell command, named in Verb-Noun form, such as Get-ChildItem or Set-Location. Cmdlets take parameters and output objects that the next command can use.

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