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Synonyms

download

American  
[doun-lohd] / ˈdaʊnˌloʊd /

verb (used with object)

  1. to transfer (software, data, character sets, etc.) from a distant to a nearby computer, from a larger to a smaller computer, or from a computer to a peripheral device.

noun

  1. software, data, etc., that has been downloaded.

    the best free music downloads.

  2. the act or process of downloading.

download British  
/ ˈdaʊnˌləʊd /

verb

  1. to copy or transfer (data or a program) into the memory of one computer system from a larger one

  2. 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

  3. to delegate or assign (work, responsibilities, costs, etc) to a someone at a lower level of an organization; off-load

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a file transferred onto a computer from another computer or the internet

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
download Scientific  
/ doun′lōd′ /

  1. To transfer data or programs from a server or host computer to one's own computer or digital device.

  2. Compare upload

Other Word Forms

  • downloadable adjective

Etymology

Origin of download

down 1 + load

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.

The mostly ad-free Lite tier was introduced last March, and allows users to download videos and watch content in the background.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

The move will mean owners of older Kindles, including its earliest models such as the Kindle Touch and some Kindle Fire tablets, will be unable to download new e-books.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

In all, according to posts about the data breach, there were 7.7 terabytes of information available for download and more than 337,000 files.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

Except this time, the company posted to GitHub a type of file that linked back to the source code that outsiders could download and interpret.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

To do this, you must select “Declare This Book” before you download its clue.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

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.