noun
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a systematized collection of data that can be accessed immediately and manipulated by a data-processing system for a specific purpose
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informal any large store of information
a database of knowledge
Etymology
Origin of database
Explanation
A database is an organized body of information. Libraries have lots of databases to help you find books, articles, or information. Looking for some information? You might need to check a database, probably at the library or online. A database collects a bunch of information and resources, usually on a common subject. Some databases feature newspapers; others are related to legal issues. The police use databases to track criminals, and the government uses databases to track terrorists. Anywhere there's information being collected and accessed, there's probably a database keeping track of it all.
Vocabulary lists containing database
Computer Science and Technology - Introductory
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Computer Science and Technology - Middle School
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Computer Science and Technology - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She also welcomed a commitment from government that it will not seek to create a centralised database for digital ID.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
The disappearing sales listings are caught up in an increasingly contentious dispute between Zillow and the local listings database that serves the Chicago area, Midwest Real Estate Data, or MRED.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
Google searched its location history database and produced anonymized information tied to devices inside that perimeter.
From Slate • May 20, 2026
To explore this, the team analyzed data from Optum Market Clarity, a large US electronic health record and insurance claims database.
From Science Daily • May 19, 2026
David Petrakis My Lab Partner is writing a database program to track who got in where.
From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
