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.
They were later removed from that database, the complaint said.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026
By the end of 2025, about 535,000 people were registered as behavior technicians in a federal database of healthcare providers, an increase of 457% from 2019, an analysis by the Journal found.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026
The national database could be co-operatively managed by the government and the airline industry.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
A database of compromised accounts -- created by an internet monitor tracking Russian influence operations and shared with AFP by a Clemson University researcher -- included at least one other Wall Street Journal reporter.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
And in fact, there are precedents for such a case, including one in which a woman successfully had her father’s DNA removed from a database in Iceland.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
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.
