download
Americanverb (used with object)
noun
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software, data, etc., that has been downloaded.
the best free music downloads.
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the act or process of downloading.
verb
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to copy or transfer (data or a program) into the memory of one computer system from a larger one
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to broadcast specialist programmes, for such groups as doctors, outside normal broadcasting hours. They are often recorded on video tapes and viewed later Compare upload
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to delegate or assign (work, responsibilities, costs, etc) to a someone at a lower level of an organization; off-load
noun
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To transfer data or programs from a server or host computer to one's own computer or digital device.
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Compare upload
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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downloadsimple
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downloadssimple
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have downloadedperfect
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has downloadedperfect
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am downloadingprogressive
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are downloadingprogressive
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is downloadingprogressive
-
have been downloadingperfect progressive
-
has been downloadingperfect progressive
Past
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downloadedsimple
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had downloadedperfect
-
was downloadingprogressive
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were downloadingprogressive
-
had been downloadingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of download
Explanation
When you've got files on one computer that you need to transfer onto another, you'll need to download or copy the data onto a portable drive to move it. Back before the internet brought the world to our fingers, the word download was used mainly to describe the process of copying files or data from one computer to another. But these days, you can download or copy, just about anything from the internet — from music to movies to books. Another thing you can download, if you aren't careful, is a virus, so be wary before you go transferring all kinds of files to your computer.
Vocabulary lists containing download
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.
See Examples For:
In the parking lot, a legal observer helped her download the encrypted messaging app Signal and join her neighborhood rapid-response group.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
Founded in 2023, the company sells software that allows customers to easily access AI models built by OpenAI and Anthropic, as well as “open-weight” alternatives that are free for anyone to download and run.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Additionally, Arya said every download of an open-weight model leads to another customer’s need for memory to run it on their hardware — something that isn’t the case with closed models.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
Clubs now use digital systems where fans download tickets to their phones.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
“The likelihood of finding a fossil is very low. It is unknown whether fossils even exist on Mars,” I say as I download more of the information that I have in my system.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
It has been downloaded 12 million times in 2026 alone, according to director Jessie Barry - who says it has had 42 million downloads overall.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
The FT’s article reports that the Chinese government discussed restricting the transfer of important data abroad and limiting the downloads of models by foreign users.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
Strike 3 says it can show that the downloads weren’t the work of random users.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
We evaluated streaming performance and P2P behavior by running downloads and streaming concurrently to observe throttling and buffering.
From Salon ● Jun. 10, 2026
This Harlem free Wi-Fi was sooo slow for downloads.
From "The Stars Beneath Our Feet" by David Barclay Moore
Moonshot AI will release Kimi K3 as an open-source model on 27 July, making it the first of its scale that can be freely downloaded and customised by developers and members of the public.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Its arrival later this month will make it the world's first open-source model in the three-trillion-parameter class that can be freely downloaded, run and customised by outside developers.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Its mobile app has been downloaded 758,000 times since its launch, according to market-intelligence firm Sensor Tower, which reports that it had 122,000 mobile users in the second quarter of 2026.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
That means it can be downloaded and run on hardware operated by anybody and can be modified and used without supervision.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
I was listening to Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely,” which I’d downloaded the night before.
From "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" by Janae Marks
It was acknowledged that Google's version of Android does not prevent device owners downloading alternative web browsers or using other search engines.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
It also argued that customers were in no way forced to use its products on Android and that downloading competing apps was just a tap away.
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
Often referred to as “super apps,” these software programs are popular in Asia and incorporate services that Americans usually access by downloading separate apps.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
Meta, in its defense filings, says Strike 3 has offered no proof that Meta, as a corporation, was responsible for the downloading.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
“You know the password. Don’t go downloading anything suspicious.”
From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson
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.
