search term

American

noun

Computers.

a word or other term used to electronically retrieve data, web pages, or other information from files, databases, etc..

When you search the shopping website, ads relating to your search terms will appear along with your search results.

Etymology

Origin of search term

First recorded in 1955–60

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.

At least one search term — Taylor Swift AI — was still apparently blocked.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 30, 2024

Within moments of the announcement, Corenswet was already spiking as a search term on Google as comic-book fans rushed to see whether the actor seemed like the right fit for the tights and cape.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 27, 2023

But when I’m typing a longer search term in my browser, I’m tripped up by that residual period.

From Slate • Jun. 20, 2023

Over the last five years, the search term "trauma bonding" has increased steadily in Google searches.

From Salon • Jun. 14, 2023

When he entered the search term “AIDS” into a computer, thousands of studies came up.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023