API: A defined way for one piece of software to talk to another. An API lets an app ask a service for data or actions without knowing how that service works inside.
Example
Your app calls a weather API to get today’s temperature, or an AI model’s API to summarise some text.
Why API matters for IT interns
APIs are everywhere in modern software and AI tools. Interns often build, test or call APIs in their first projects.
Where you will hear it
You will hear this term in development teams, in code reviews and technical discussions, and in technical interviews. If someone uses it and you are not sure what they mean in your project, it is completely fine to ask; every team uses terms a little differently.
Related terms
- Authentication: Checking who someone is — usually with a password, an OTP or "Sign in with Google".
- Authorization: Checking what someone is allowed to do after they have logged in.
- Backend: The server-side part of an application that handles logic, data, security and communication with databases…
- Code Quality: How easy code is to read, understand, test and change — not just whether it works.
- Code Review: When teammates read your code changes before they are merged, to catch problems and suggest improvements.
- Compiler: A tool that converts the code you write into something the computer can run, and reports mistakes before the…
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Frequently asked questions
What is API?
A defined way for one piece of software to talk to another. An API lets an app ask a service for data or actions without knowing how that service works inside.
What is an example of API?
Your app calls a weather API to get today’s temperature, or an AI model’s API to summarise some text.
Why does API matter for IT interns?
APIs are everywhere in modern software and AI tools. Interns often build, test or call APIs in their first projects.
Explore more internship terms
The IT Internship Glossary explains 199 terms you will hear before and during your internship, with simple definitions and real examples.
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About the author
Dhaivat has 16+ years of experience in the IT industry, working on AI and cloud technologies, project delivery, and engineering leadership. He has interviewed and mentored many interns, wrote The Lost Intern, and runs the non-commercial Career Impact Initiative, mentoring students for free.