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
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am downloadingprogressive
-
are downloadingprogressive
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is downloadingprogressive
-
have been downloadingperfect progressive
-
has been downloadingperfect progressive
Past
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downloadedsimple
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had downloadedperfect
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was downloadingprogressive
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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.
On some days, I’d like the option of putting a quarter in a meter rather than having to download a sixth parking app.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2026
"I'm pretty much all digital these days, I download most of my games directly onto my console," Alogirlx, a gaming content creator from Canada, told the BBC's What in the World podcast.
From BBC • Jun. 26, 2026
Instead, players will receive a digital download code inside the box.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 25, 2026
Grand Theft Auto VI, launching Nov. 19, will be digital-only, with a download code in the box, a move to boost Take-Two’s margins.
From Barron's • Jun. 24, 2026
I wanted to be able to download them into an iPod.
From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman
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.
