data processing

American  

[dey-tuh pros-es-ing, dat-uh, dah-tuh] / ˈdeɪ tə ˌprɒs ɛs ɪŋ, ˈdæt ə, ˈdɑ tə /

noun

1. processing of information, especially the handling of information by computers in accordance with strictly defined procedures and operations, as aggregation, sorting, analysis, or validation. DP

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data processing British  

noun

1. 1. a sequence of operations performed on data, esp by a computer, in order to extract information, reorder files, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a data-processing centre

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data processing Cultural  

1. Either the preparation of data for processing by a computer, or the storage and processing of raw data by the computer itself.

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Other Word Forms

• data processor
  noun

Etymology

Origin of data processing

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

data processing

Exports of automatic data processing equipment and related parts rose 76.5% last month, also picking up from the 67.4% increase in July, according to data released Tuesday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

The companies also plan to deepen their work together across AI factories, CPUs, networking, open models, data processing and robotics, they said in a press release.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

The government said a pause would lead to the UK losing investment and being dependent on overseas computing for sensitive data processing.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

However, the demand for data processing capacity as countries scramble for technological supremacy means the building will continue.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

With a little luck and some hard work, he predicted, Sasha might be able to hold down a low-level job doing data processing.

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater