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• back end
  back end

  noun

  the rear part of something.
• back-end
  back-end

  adjective

  being or relating to those parts of a computer program, website, system, network, etc., that the user does not see or directly interact with.

back end

¹ American  

[bak end] / ˈbæk ˈɛnd /

back-end,

noun

1. the rear part of something.

   I didn’t think my stage debut would entail playing the back end of a bull!

   My eyes followed the back end of the car, watching it slowly creep up the road and out of sight.

2. the later part of a process or span of time.

   The team has a chance to turn their season around, but they face a difficult back end of the schedule.

3. Computers. the parts of a computer program, website, system, network, etc., that the user does not see or directly interact with.

   The user information has all been updated in the back end.

   Our engineers can refurbish existing backends internally, improving structure and performance without altering the external behavior of the code.

4. the part of an organization or process that operates in the background or out of the public view.

   Tell us about the back end of your business, like your accounting and data processing systems.

5. British. the last few months of the year.

   The journal was published at the back end of last year.

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back-end ² American  

[bak-end] / ˈbækˌɛnd /

Or backend

adjective

1. Computers. being or relating to those parts of a computer program, website, system, network, etc., that the user does not see or directly interact with.

   Managed website hosting is for those who do not want to bother with a lot of the back-end stuff like updating apps and enabling automatic backups.

   We’re seeking an experienced back-end developer to help complete the development of our mobile education platform.

2. being or relating to the part of an organization that operates in the background or out of the public view.

   The library is hoping to streamline many of their back-end administrative processes.

   The back-end legal and financial responsibilities of running a business are significant.

3. happening or incurred at or near the end of a process or span of time.

   We do not ever charge hidden back-end transaction fees.

   The young pitcher is shaping up to be a great middle or back-end reliever.

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back end British  

noun

1. dialect autumn

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adjective

1. (of money, costs, etc) required or incurred after a project has been completed

Etymology

Origin of back end¹

First recorded in 1590–1600

Origin of back-end²

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

back end back-end

However he returned to hit top form at the back end of the latest Prem season, leading Northampton to the league title before a summer switch to Harlequins.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

"We've probably lacked a little bit of power at the back end and it's nice to have some real six-hitters coming in and giving us some momentum," she said.

From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026

It has struggled so badly to modernize the chatbot that, after years of trying, it still had to turn to Google to provide the technology back end.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

“If bond volatility rises with rising back end rates, we would expect the first meaningful correction in equity prices since markets bottomed at the end of March.”

From Barron's ● May 19, 2026

One nailed me in the back end and I almost jumped straight out of the chariot.

From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan

For some clients, Gloo provides back-end technology, essentially serving as an IT department and applying AI across their operations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026

The momentum could continue into the next calendar year “as inference workloads scale and power density rises across the data center, driving demand for back-end test infrastructure,” Garrigan said.

From MarketWatch ● May 9, 2026

“When we were starting our businesses, none of us had any knowledge of the back-end stuff,” Ziskin told me.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 28, 2026

The war could be reflected in Boeing’s earnings conference call commentary about deliveries, which could be back-end loaded.

From Barron's ● Apr. 21, 2026

But that particular back-end was bad during October and November on most of the beats below Kelso.

From Lines in Pleasant Places Being the Aftermath of an Old Angler by Senior, William

Related Words

• back
• back door
• backside
• bottom
• butt
• rear end
• tail