big data

American  

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)

1. Computers. data sets, typically consisting of billions or trillions of records, that are so vast and complex that they require new and powerful computational resources to process.

   Supercomputers can analyze big data to create models of global climate change.

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big data British  

plural noun

1. computing data held in such large amounts that it can be difficult to process

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Etymology

Origin of big data

First recorded in 1975–80, for an earlier sense

Example Sentences

Around the same time, he invested in MD Insider, a startup that used big data computing techniques to rank the performance of doctors.

From The Wall Street Journal

This slower pace means big data revisions can more easily reveal the economy is shedding jobs, not adding them.

From The Wall Street Journal

Morgan Stanley has decadeslong ties to top-tech companies, and the firm’s bankers began pitching them financing options for big data centers two years ago.

From The Wall Street Journal

Renaissance was building a data advantage before “big data” existed.

From MarketWatch

That’s exactly the type of bodacious, big data center—AI-driven data-center project—that he’s looking for,’” Perry recounted.

From The Wall Street Journal