database

American  

[dey-tuh-beys] / ˈdeɪ təˌbeɪs /

Or data-base,

noun

1. a comprehensive collection of related data datum organized for convenient access, generally in a computer.

2. data bank.

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database British  

/ ˈdeɪtəˌbeɪs /

noun

1. a systematized collection of data that can be accessed immediately and manipulated by a data-processing system for a specific purpose

2. informal any large store of information

   a database of knowledge

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database Scientific  

/ dā′tə-bās′,dăt′ə- /

1. A collection of data arranged for ease and speed of search and retrieval by a computer.

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database Cultural  

1. A set of data grouped together in one location in (or accessible by) a computer. A computerized database has been likened to an electronic filing cabinet of information arranged for easy access or for a specific purpose.

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Etymology

Origin of database

First recorded in 1965–70; data + base ¹

Example Sentences

At the start of 2025, the charity moved to a new premises and adopted a new database system, meaning it is not possible to compare this year's figures with previous reports, it said.

From BBC

While there isn’t a national database tracking the number of middle school athletes holding back, interscholastic officials in several states described it as a tiny but growing fraction.

From The Wall Street Journal

We used that data to construct a database comparing the monthly performance of the energy sector of the U.S. stock market against the performance of the rest of the market.

From MarketWatch

Machine-learning tools compared those signatures with an extensive chemical database, allowing the team to identify 169 chemicals spanning nine major structural classes.

From Science Daily

Wildlife crime experts have only just revealed how they were able to identify the individual animal from body parts found in a suspect's village, as they matched a profile on Zimbabwe's lion database.

From BBC