Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word for Mac is Microsoft's desktop word processor for creating, formatting, reviewing and sharing documents. It supports everyday writing as well as reports, letters, academic work and structured business documents. This cask downloads Microsoft's standalone Word installer package; installing that package does not purchase a license or install the complete Office suite.

Main features

• Create documents from blank pages or templates, with styles, page layout, tables and images.
• Work with Word document formats and export documents for distribution, including PDF.
• Review writing with spelling and grammar tools; advanced Microsoft Editor capabilities depend on your license and language.
• Use comments and Track Changes to review and revise documents with others.
• Share cloud-hosted files and collaborate in real time when the account, storage service and document support it.
• Save documents locally or use OneDrive and supported organizational storage for access across devices.

Install and activate

Install with brew install --cask microsoft-word, then open Microsoft Word from Applications. Sign in with the Microsoft account or work/school account associated with a qualifying desktop-app license, or follow your organization's activation process. A plan that offers only web apps does not automatically license the Mac desktop application. Your administrator may need to assign the appropriate entitlement.

This cask conflicts with microsoft-office and microsoft-office-businesspro; those suite packages already include Word. Choose the individual-app or suite installation route rather than overlapping them. The captured cask installer choices deselect the Microsoft AutoUpdate component. Microsoft distributes updates through its supported update channels, while the cask can also track package updates; do not infer that this particular installation necessarily adds a fresh AutoUpdate installation.

Create a document, save it to a chosen local folder or cloud location, and use the Review tools when exchanging edits. Cloud sharing permissions determine who can view or edit a document. Local file saving does not require uploading every document to Microsoft. Allow access to files and folders when needed for documents you choose; microphone access is relevant to dictation, not a universal requirement for basic document editing.

Licenses and price

Word is proprietary commercial software. Downloading the installer is free, but full desktop editing requires an applicable license. Qualifying Microsoft 365 Personal, Family or organizational subscriptions include desktop Word under their own terms. Some supported one-time Office or standalone Word purchases also license the relevant Mac desktop edition; verify that the purchase explicitly includes Mac and that edition's support lifecycle. A Windows-only entitlement is not interchangeable with a Mac entitlement.

A one-time purchase covers its purchased edition rather than all future major versions and does not promise every Microsoft 365 subscription feature. Microsoft 365 subscription features, cloud storage, premium templates, Editor and Copilot availability depend on the exact plan, account, region and rollout. Copilot is not included merely because this cask is installed. Prices vary by region and plan; consult Microsoft's current purchase options rather than treating the package as freeware.

The Mac App Store edition is a different distribution route: Microsoft states that it requires a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription and does not support perpetual Office licenses. Use Microsoft's own download/activation route for an applicable one-time license. The official App Store images shown here illustrate the Mac product, not a guarantee of features included with every license.

Systems and resources

Microsoft provides native Apple Silicon and Intel support in Universal 2 Mac packages. Its support policy covers the three most recent macOS major releases. The captured Office release notes require macOS 14 Sonoma or later to receive current updates; older compatible installations may continue to run without receiving security or other updates. Historical cask variations for Big Sur, Monterey and Ventura are older builds, not evidence that the current 16.113 installer is supported on those systems. The Mac App Store listing likewise requires macOS 14.

The current 16.113.26100421 installer download is 1,412,948,091 bytes, verified by Microsoft's HTTP Content-Length. This is compressed installer size, not installed disk usage; leave space for installation, updates and documents. No Word-only universal RAM or exact installed-space figure is asserted here. Microsoft Word also has separate Windows, mobile and web editions; this PKG installs the Mac desktop application only.

Network access is needed for download, activation, license verification, updates and online collaboration. After activation, ordinary local document editing can work offline, subject to the license's verification requirements. Online services and AI features remain network-dependent. Keep supported Office and macOS versions updated, and review document macros and external content before enabling them.

Sources: Word product page, Office for Mac overview, Official Mac release notes, Mac App Store deployment and licensing, Microsoft's Mac App Store listing.