noun
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a systematized collection of data that can be accessed immediately and manipulated by a data-processing system for a specific purpose
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informal any large store of information
a database of knowledge
Etymology
Origin of database
Explanation
A database is an organized body of information. Libraries have lots of databases to help you find books, articles, or information. Looking for some information? You might need to check a database, probably at the library or online. A database collects a bunch of information and resources, usually on a common subject. Some databases feature newspapers; others are related to legal issues. The police use databases to track criminals, and the government uses databases to track terrorists. Anywhere there's information being collected and accessed, there's probably a database keeping track of it all.
Vocabulary lists containing database
Computer Science and Technology - Introductory
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Computer Science and Technology - Middle School
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Computer Science and Technology - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Peña: I don’t think that it’s going to be a threat because it’s working off of a database and whatever has been uploaded onto that particular AI.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
All information in the database is legally gathered, and in 2024 Congress added safeguards against abuse.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
This is illustrated in the chart above, which plots data from Jay Ritter, a University of Florida finance professor who has compiled the premier academic database of U.S.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026
The proxy statements warn that Palantir’s software is linked to Israel’s surveillance of Palestinians, ICE’s deportation and surveillance practices, and the reported creation of a U.S. multiagency database merging Americans’ data, among other projects.
From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026
Surely the clinic had some kind of database of patient records.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
