database

American  

[dey-tuh-beys] / ˈdeɪ təˌbeɪs /

Or data-base,

noun

• databases
  plural

1. a comprehensive collection of related data organized for convenient access, generally in a computer.

2. data bank.

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database British  

/ ˈdeɪtəˌbeɪs /

noun

1. a systematized collection of data that can be accessed immediately and manipulated by a data-processing system for a specific purpose

2. informal any large store of information

   a database of knowledge

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database Scientific  

/ dā′tə-bās′,dăt′ə- /

1. A collection of data arranged for ease and speed of search and retrieval by a computer.

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database Cultural  

1. A set of data grouped together in one location in (or accessible by) a computer. A computerized database has been likened to an electronic filing cabinet of information arranged for easy access or for a specific purpose.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• databases
  plural

Etymology

Origin of database

First recorded in 1965–70; data + base ¹

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

database databases

As Sheeran's case was dealt with under the Single Justice Procedure system, it could be sent to any magistrates' court regardless of the location of the offence, based on a national database.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

Internal records from a mailing list exchange database, which details how often and for what purpose organizations use mailing lists of potential donors, shows a shift in FLAG’s emphasis.

From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026

For more on the companies’ own outlooks, you can search in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Edgar database for filings.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026

Shanahan was holding and using a cellphone at the time of the crash but was not at fault, according to the California Crash Reporting System, a statewide database of collisions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

“For the most part, dorm rooms aren’t monitored. Besides, I already checked the database in my mom’s office to make sure yours was camera free.”

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Despite a total population of just over six million people, the Baltic states possessed around 33,000 startups last year, according to data from Lursoft IT, a Latvian company specialising in business and financial databases.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

That possibility may improve as global genome databases include a broader and more representative range of human populations.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026

These kinds of investigators often use public records, databases, address histories and people-finder services.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026

Elsewhere, the conversation drifts into questions about public-records databases, investigative reporting, grant applications, and the ways institutions classify professional expertise.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

Since the late 1980s, people had been putting up databases with Internet access.

From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman