mainframe
Americannoun
-
mainframes
plural
noun
-
-
a high-speed general-purpose computer, usually with a large storage capacity
-
( as modifier )
mainframe systems
-
-
the central processing unit of a computer
-
A large, often powerful computer, usually dedicated to lengthy, complex calculations or set up for use by many people simultaneously.
-
Compare personal computer
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of mainframe
Compare meaning
How does mainframe compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Vocabulary lists containing mainframe
Computer Science and Technology - Middle School
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 - High 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!
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 delivering its profit warning last week, IBM pointed to recent challenges in its mainframe business.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
He used his army of consultants to help clients navigate AI while positioning the company to milk its legacy mainframe and software businesses and to offer more tailored AI products.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
In June, IBM launched its new z17 mainframe product, which is used by many of the largest banks and retailers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
“It was a shot to the heart and the chest and the mainframe with Luka,” James told reporters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026
She went to her computer and wrote some code, walked a set of punch cards to the mainframe in another building, and waited while it slugged through the calculations.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
IBM’s mainframes, servers and software are no less dominant in the core functions of insurance companies, banks, airlines and other members of the Fortune 500.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
He essentially bet that corporate clients running critical programs on their own mainframes purchased from IBM couldn’t or wouldn’t migrate to remote data centers offered by Amazon, Google and Microsoft.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
However, Morningstar’s Yang explained that mainframes fall into a different class of hardware and process different workloads than hyperscaler servers do, for instance.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
Moreover, IBM’s software business drives demand for its consulting services and mainframes, creating a powerful growth cycle that Wall Street is overlooking, Essex contended.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
Computers up to that point had been the massive, expensive mainframes of the sort sitting in the white expanse of the Michigan Computer Center.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
