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.
According to the Equasis shipping database, Sinoguards also owns the Honduras-based Sunny Ocean, a floating armory that successfully fended off an attack by Yemen’s Houthi militants in the Red Sea in 2024.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026
With nearly one-third of cactus species currently threatened with extinction, researchers say the database will provide an important tool for studying how these plants may respond to climate change in the future.
From Science Daily • May 13, 2026
When generative AI models such as ChatGPT or Claude respond to human requests, they are not searching a database and pulling out facts.
From Salon • May 12, 2026
Using his access to the Atlas database, Wai tracked her down to her flat in Pontefract where she was living with her young son.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
“For the most part, dorm rooms aren’t monitored. Besides, I already checked the database in my mom’s office to make sure yours was camera free.”
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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.
