Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

higher programming language

higher programming language , noun

The aggregation of several assembly-language instructions into one instruction allows much greater efficiency in writing computer programs. Most programs are now written in some higher programming language, such as BASIC, FORTRAN, COBOL, C, C++, PROLOG, or JAVA.

(Computers) A computer programming language with an instruction set allowing one instruction to code for several assembly language instructions.