download
Americanverb (used with object)
noun
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software, data, etc., that has been downloaded.
the best free music downloads.
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the act or process of downloading.
verb
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to copy or transfer (data or a program) into the memory of one computer system from a larger one
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to broadcast specialist programmes, for such groups as doctors, outside normal broadcasting hours. They are often recorded on video tapes and viewed later Compare upload
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to delegate or assign (work, responsibilities, costs, etc) to a someone at a lower level of an organization; off-load
noun
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To transfer data or programs from a server or host computer to one's own computer or digital device.
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Compare upload
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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downloadsimple
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downloadssimple
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have downloadedperfect
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has downloadedperfect
-
am downloadingprogressive
-
are downloadingprogressive
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is downloadingprogressive
-
have been downloadingperfect progressive
-
has been downloadingperfect progressive
Past
-
downloadedsimple
-
had downloadedperfect
-
was downloadingprogressive
-
were downloadingprogressive
-
had been downloadingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of download
Explanation
When you've got files on one computer that you need to transfer onto another, you'll need to download or copy the data onto a portable drive to move it. Back before the internet brought the world to our fingers, the word download was used mainly to describe the process of copying files or data from one computer to another. But these days, you can download or copy, just about anything from the internet — from music to movies to books. Another thing you can download, if you aren't careful, is a virus, so be wary before you go transferring all kinds of files to your computer.
Vocabulary lists containing download
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.
See Examples For:
In the parking lot, a legal observer helped her download the encrypted messaging app Signal and join her neighborhood rapid-response group.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
Neither do potential blacklists or liability rules reportedly aimed at Chinese models whose weights anyone can download.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Founded in 2023, the company sells software that allows customers to easily access AI models built by OpenAI and Anthropic, as well as “open-weight” alternatives that are free for anyone to download and run.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Clubs now use digital systems where fans download tickets to their phones.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
I download the Last Friend app on my phone.
From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera
The FT’s article reports that the Chinese government discussed restricting the transfer of important data abroad and limiting the downloads of models by foreign users.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
In May, the number of downloads was about 59,729.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
Some downloads, it says, were coordinated among several Meta IP addresses, all based on the same algorithmic keywords and occurring simultaneously, suggesting that the infringements “took place within Meta’s walls.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
These regulations were followed by a spike in downloads of VPNs and calls from some, including the Children's Commissioner, for age checks to restrict them for young people.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
“This thingy counts every step, and then at midnight it downloads so we can check each other’s numbers. First one who goes over or under ten thousand loses.”
From "Goodbye Stranger" by Rebecca Stead
She is one of many millions of people who have downloaded Merlin Bird ID, which claims to be able to identify almost any bird by its look, song or call.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
It has been downloaded 12 million times in 2026 alone, according to director Jessie Barry - who says it has had 42 million downloads overall.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Its mobile app has been downloaded 758,000 times since its launch, according to market-intelligence firm Sensor Tower, which reports that it had 122,000 mobile users in the second quarter of 2026.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Once a week after her parental leave, she lugged the hulking computer to the office and downloaded the latest version of the film so she could keep working after bedtime.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026
Not trusting my instincts any further, I loaded up a piece of high-end avatar dance software called Travoltra, which I’d downloaded and tested earlier that evening.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
Eligible participants can add a driver’s license by downloading the DMV Wallet app or through Apple, Google and Samsung wallet apps and following the prompts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Trained entirely on a given pastor’s sermons and teaching, PastorGPT refreshes itself automatically each week by downloading and transcribing new sermon uploads from YouTube.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
It also argued that customers were in no way forced to use its products on Android and that downloading competing apps was just a tap away.
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
He spent the night cutting pictures from magazines and downloading images to create a makeshift catalog, then promised Mason a custom $40,000 necklace.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026
Once we're finished debating and downloading, Jane heads home to change.
From "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" by John Green and David Levithan
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.
