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
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have been downloadingperfect progressive
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has been downloadingperfect progressive
Past
-
downloadedsimple
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had downloadedperfect
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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:
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
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
Former White House AI czar David Sacks called for “panic” to stop around open-weight models, which allow anyone to download for use freely.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Clubs now use digital systems where fans download tickets to their phones.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
It’s going to take a while to download everything, but it’s running now.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
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
According to Similarweb, a digital market intelligence company, downloads of the app began to rise from just over 14,000 last October to 33,710 in November.
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
Without her Cog, she and Rubio are no longer being fed downloads while they sleep.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
The podcast had been downloaded 7,184 times by the end of July, according to APD - yielding several tips, including one which investigators continue to pursue.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
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
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
China is known for cheaper and open-weight models, which means they can be downloaded and customized.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 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
Another resident spoke of downloading a smartphone app to track decibel levels throughout the day, intending to document the noise of the coaster screams and report any violations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
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
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
What if he’s staring at me through his own hack, downloading all of my info?
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.
