parallel processing

British  

noun

1. the performance by a computer system of two or more simultaneous operations

---

parallel processing Cultural  

1. The use of many different computer processors to work on different parts of a problem simultaneously. This is one way of increasing the speed at which computers can work, with each processor working on a part of a larger problem. (Compare serial processing.)

---

Discover More

The SETI project recently introduced a parallel processing system that allows individuals to use their personal computers to analyze data and assist in the search for extraterrestrial life.

Example Sentences

The chips perform calculations by breaking large problems into thousands of simpler tasks that are processed simultaneously, through a method called parallel processing.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

In today’s data centers, sequential computations are done with CPUs, while parallel processing for AI is done with GPUs.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 25, 2025

This ability for parallel processing makes the brain much more efficient compared to traditional computing systems.

From Science Daily • Mar. 11, 2024

He invested Nvidia's resources in creating a tool to make GPUs programmable, thereby opening up their parallel processing capabilities for uses beyond graphics.

From BBC • May 25, 2023

Obstacles such as huge-scale parallel processing, exaenergy consumption, reliability, memory and storage—along with a lack of software to start running on such supercomputers—stood in the way of those standards.

From Scientific American • Feb. 9, 2023