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

Examples could include processing Earth observation data from satellites, military or intelligence data processing, scientific computing related to space missions, or specialized computing for satellites and other space assets.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 19, 2026

Electronic data processing machines brought otherwise unattainable power and efficiency to the research process.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly