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
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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
-
was downloadingprogressive
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were downloadingprogressive
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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 June, Rockstar Games announced that physical copies of GTA 6, perhaps one of the most hotly-anticipated games in history, would contain a code for a digital download for the game rather than a disc.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
When the app is released, fans can download it to their phones and enter their account information to get their tickets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
These are programs that users can download and run under their own control.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
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
Every time I turned my e-mail program on, I faced hundreds of messages from kids, students, former students, parents, and teachers stacked in vast queues; it took hours just to download the mail.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
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
Other simultaneous downloads swept up episodes of “The Big Bang Theory” and “Ted Lasso” out of order, though a putative human user would probably have downloaded them sequentially.
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
We evaluated streaming performance and P2P behavior by running downloads and streaming concurrently to observe throttling and buffering.
From Salon ● Jun. 10, 2026
Now sitting in my downloads, blinking at me.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
She put the app online for $1 a month, and within weeks people downloaded it thousands of times.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Meanwhile, the rest of the world builds AI economies on a base of Chinese open models that can be freely downloaded, customized and distributed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Moonshot AI will release Kimi K3 as an open-source model on 27 July, making it the first of its scale that can be freely downloaded and customised by developers and members of the public.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
It has been downloaded more than a billion times across iOS and Android devices, with millions still logging on each day.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
I downloaded all the titles she named, and she was right, those were the songs.
From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio
Cloud gaming allows players to stream and play games online from a remote server using a phone, tablet or controller, rather than downloading and running it on a PC or console at home.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
The integration allows drivers to access Google Maps directly through the vehicle’s navigation system without downloading the app or relying on smartphone mirroring.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 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
Often referred to as “super apps,” these software programs are popular in Asia and incorporate services that Americans usually access by downloading separate apps.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
At the same time, I tap my fingers subtly against my leg and start downloading info on both him and Max.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
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.
