input
Americannoun
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inputs
plural
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something that is put in.
-
the act or process of putting in.
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the power or energy supplied to a machine.
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the current or voltage applied to an electric or electronic circuit or device.
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Computers.
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data to be entered into a computer for processing.
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the process of introducing data into the internal storage of a computer.
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contribution of information, ideas, opinions, or the like.
Before making a decision we need your input.
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the available data for solving a technical problem.
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Scot. a monetary contribution, as to charity.
adjective
verb (used with object)
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inputs,
present (3rd person singular)
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input,
past participle, past
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inputted,
past participle, past
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inputting
present participle
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Computers. to enter (data) into a computer for processing.
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to contribute (ideas, information, or suggestions) to a project, discussion, etc.
noun
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the act of putting in
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that which is put in
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(often plural) a resource required for industrial production, such as capital goods, labour services, raw materials, etc
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electronics
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the signal or current fed into a component or circuit
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the terminals, or some other point, to which the signal is applied
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computing the data fed into a computer from a peripheral device
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(modifier) of or relating to electronic, computer, or other input
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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inputsimple
-
inputssimple
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have inputperfect
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have inputtedperfect
-
has inputperfect
-
has inputtedperfect
-
am inputtingprogressive
-
are inputtingprogressive
-
is inputtingprogressive
-
have been inputtingperfect progressive
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has been inputtingperfect progressive
Past
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inputsimple
-
inputtedsimple
-
had inputperfect
-
had inputtedperfect
-
was inputtingprogressive
-
were inputtingprogressive
-
had been inputtingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of input
Explanation
Input is that which is, well, put in—whether literally, as in "the input from the guitar to the speaker," or more conceptually, as in "the group leader wanted everybody's input." The verb input, in the computer sense, didn't exist much before the late 1940's when it became common among computer professionals, who input data into their machines. Why they weren't satisfied just to "put in" the data, we may never know. Before that, the noun input was an economic term meaning anything that went into production: the grain was just one input among several required for the production of cereal. But often, these days, input means a contribution of some kind, usually a thought. You'll thank me for my input later.
Vocabulary lists containing input
Economics
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Unit 1: Ecological Systems
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Functions (Introductory)
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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:
Under legislation, a secretary of state can overturn a Parades Commission determination, especially following some form of input from the police.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
Lamb Weston is working to drive additional cost savings, Smith said, as the company continues to experience unexpected inflationary pressures across key input costs and freight expenses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Have we finally arrived at a true Turing machine that can produce advanced math without human input?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Corteva, a farming input maker, is now two companies, Corteva and Vylor.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
What about a little input from Dante himself?
From "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Drawing on national reports and other inputs, a "global review" of collective improvements and pitfalls is being finalised.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
Our bodies rely on three main sensory inputs to show that we're moving, which come from what we see, what our inner ear's balance system perceives, and what fibres in our body sense, he says.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
World Labs, which was founded in 2024, develops spatial-intelligence models that can generate and simulate three-dimensional environments using text, image and video inputs.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
However, Cook said she sees economy-wide pressure from AI-fueled demand, as data-center investment relies on inputs, like construction labor and energy which are broadly used in the economy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
To Monod, diauxie suggested that genes could be regulated by metabolic inputs.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
If the CPA was using software, it’s pretty hard to get it wrong — unless he inputted the correct numbers.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 27, 2026
Employees who previously inputted orders are now focused on collecting receivables, Singh said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026
She inputted his age, his hobby and his interest into Copilot, the Microsoft-owned chatbot, which led her to the website of a niche retailer that sells Viking-themed metal bike parts.
From BBC ● Dec. 9, 2025
They then inputted these charge values into computational models to mathematically predict how strong the electric field would be when a wasp approaches a caterpillar on a plant.
From Science Daily ● May 24, 2024
Images, data, and simulations are part of the work and part of the shared knowledge, already available in formats that can be inputted for further work or can be technologically tested.
From The Civilization of Illiteracy by Mihai Nadin
If necessary, redo your taxes yourself, inputting the correct data.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 27, 2026
One of AI’s most significant contributions so far is extracting data from standard common tax forms such as W-2s and 1099s and inputting it into tax returns.
From Barron's ● Jan. 31, 2026
Galea built on these findings, inputting the layout of The Station club into a computer simulator he created which predicts how fires spread.
From BBC ● Jan. 17, 2026
Dan Spoor, a 69-year-old retired aerospace executive, used to spend hours researching companies in which he’s interested in investing and inputting their financial metrics into spreadsheets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2025
I climb in the front, and he talks me through inputting the address into the navigation system.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
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.
