upload
Americanverb (used with object)
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uploads,
present (3rd person singular)
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uploaded,
past participle, past
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uploading
present participle
noun
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uploads
plural
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software, data, etc., that has been uploaded.
-
the act or process of uploading.
verb
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To transfer data or programs from one's own computer or digital device to a server or host computer.
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Compare download
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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uploadsimple
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uploadssimple
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have uploadedperfect
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has uploadedperfect
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am uploadingprogressive
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are uploadingprogressive
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is uploadingprogressive
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have been uploadingperfect progressive
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has been uploadingperfect progressive
Past
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uploadedsimple
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had uploadedperfect
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was uploadingprogressive
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were uploadingprogressive
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had been uploadingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of upload
Explanation
When you send any kind of data from your computer to the internet, you upload it. Want to change your social media profile picture? Just upload a new photo — maybe that one of you and your cat dressed in matching sweaters! Any time you share photos online, submit an assignment to the school website, or even send an email, you upload data. Typically this means transferring electronic information from an individual computer to a larger network or server. To download is the exact opposite — when you download something, you transfer it from a server to your computer. Both words date from about 1980.
Vocabulary lists containing upload
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:
Some, like Myreader, let users upload any book, whether or not it's under copyright, and then connect it to an AI interface.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
You can upload the company’s job description, along with all of the relevant data you can find about the role, and give the AI chatbot a concise prompt.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
The website allows users to upload georeferenced observations of plants and animals from virtually anywhere in the world.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
X has previously said: "Anyone using or prompting Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content."
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
“Or”—Abby glances at me—“you could set up an online store. Maybe you could upload some designs, and then people could order prints and phone cases and stuff.”
From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli
Earlier this year, an Apple Music executive told Billboard that more than one third of new uploads were entirely created with AI.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
Unfortunately, episodes of “Wishbone” aren’t available to stream, though low-resolution uploads of episodes can be found on YouTube, or you can buy used “Wishbone” VHS tapes or DVDs online.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
But even if you pay nothing for storage, Google still uploads your Nest clips and keeps them, at least for a time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026
It said face scans would not be collected, and ID uploads would be deleted after the verification is complete.
From BBC ● Feb. 9, 2026
He shows me the photo of us in our gear and uploads it to Instagram.
From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera
Last year, she uploaded Oliver’s picture into Face2Gene, an AI-assisted app designed for healthcare professionals that uses facial analysis to flag rare genetic disorders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Data is uploaded to Flock's cloud and can be shared with subscribers.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
He had more than half a million followers on TikTok and mainly uploaded comedy videos.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
She uploaded the quote into ChatGPT, which told her it was likely inflated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
And there were plenty of private videos uploaded to the Thunderhead, showing Goddard and his disciples doling out immunity like bread to the poor.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
MaxPreps is a free site driven by individual schools uploading their rosters, scores and stats.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Some platforms are using AI tools to estimate ages based on photos, while users can also choose to prove their age by uploading a government ID.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
Increasingly, members of the public are photographing plants and animals they encounter and uploading them to online databases such as iNaturalist.
From Science Daily ● May 18, 2026
"He's got the file, which still makes me feel uneasy, still constantly having to check back and see if he is uploading the video again. I just feel powerless," Alice said.
From BBC ● May 7, 2026
She started uploading the video and opened another.
From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner
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.
