download
Americanverb (used with object)
-
downloads,
present (3rd person singular)
-
downloaded,
past participle, past
-
downloading
present participle
noun
-
downloads
plural
-
software, data, etc., that has been downloaded.
the best free music downloads.
-
the act or process of downloading.
verb
-
to copy or transfer (data or a program) into the memory of one computer system from a larger one
-
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
-
to delegate or assign (work, responsibilities, costs, etc) to a someone at a lower level of an organization; off-load
noun
-
To transfer data or programs from a server or host computer to one's own computer or digital device.
-
Compare upload
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
downloadsimple
-
downloadssimple
-
have downloadedperfect
-
has downloadedperfect
-
am downloadingprogressive
-
are downloadingprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Computer Science and Technology - Middle School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Computer Science and Technology - High School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Further information, including a recent download from Lucy's mobile phone, contained information which "we believe are relevant to the circumstances leading up to her death."
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
Attackers avoid these filters by using open-source models, which anyone can download and strip of safeguards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
So-called open AI models, which anyone can download and modify, are close behind closed models such as Claude or ChatGPT, which are available only through their owners' paid services.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
From airfares to computer game download prices, there are the first signs of stickier forms of price pressure and of higher inflation becoming more embedded, suggesting elevated price rises are not temporary.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
He showed me how his business worked, too, how to download music, where to get rewritable CDs in bulk.
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
These giant, warehouse-like buildings power virtually all our internet activity, from our web searches and emails to movie downloads and online banking.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026
Younger audiophiles revived the medium from the dead starting in 2008 for many reasons, the simplest being that digital downloads don’t include eye-popping cover art.
From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2026
As Wang’s posts gained traction and Muse racked up downloads, the app also drew attention for alleged privacy and security concerns—a longtime Achilles’ heel for the company.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Mohan pointed out in a client note on Tuesday that Meta’s Muse reached 2.5 million downloads in its first two weeks, a sign that the agent’s popularity isn’t something to ignore.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
Now sitting in my downloads, blinking at me.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
The app, which offers $20 and $100 a month subscriptions, has been downloaded more than 10 million times, according to SensorTower, a market intelligence firm.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Muse, which Meta launched in September and has made available only in the United States and Canada, has been downloaded more than 10 million times, according to an analysis of third-party data by Sensor Tower.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
While DeepSeek's free chatbot app is one of the most downloaded apps in the Apple App Store rankings, its AI models are also used by US tech companies.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
Since Dub’s founding in 2021, 2 million people have downloaded it and placed $1.6 billion in copy trades.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
If I couldn’t hear Margo, I could at least listen to what she once heard, so I downloaded the album of Woody Guthrie covers.
From "Paper Towns" by John Green
For a passionate subset, the most anticipated moment comes when they’re downloading the full-cast audiobook, a fast-growing style of storytelling with music and sound effects.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
"It's always nerve-wracking when you're meeting new people," the 28-year-old admits before downloading an app that will match her to other daters based on their star signs.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
Word of warning: It’s not worth writing a will on the cheap or downloading one from the Internet.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
Hundreds of thousands responded by downloading the app; by Monday, MapQuest had climbed to No. 1 among navigation apps in Apple’s U.S.
From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026
“You know the password. Don’t go downloading anything suspicious.”
From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
