download
Americanverb (used with object)
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downloads,
present (3rd person singular)
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downloaded,
past participle, past
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downloading
present participle
noun
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downloads
plural
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software, data, etc., that has been downloaded.
the best free music downloads.
-
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
-
is downloadingprogressive
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have been downloadingperfect progressive
-
has been downloadingperfect progressive
Past
-
downloadedsimple
-
had downloadedperfect
-
was downloadingprogressive
-
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:
From airfares to computer game download prices, there are the first signs of stickier forms of price pressure and of higher inflation becoming more embedded, suggesting elevated price rises are not temporary.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
On Saturday, Howard-Jones discovered that the United Nations had been targeted by OpenAI’s agents who had used hacking techniques in an attempt to download data from one of the organization’s statistical websites.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
If I want to watch them in the right order, I have to download an app called Stardust TV.
From Slate ● Sep. 26, 2026
For more tips, download the Red Cross’ free mobile emergency app.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
It’s the fastest download ever, like it’s some sentient being who understands the whole point of its existence is that time is running out for someone.
From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera
But downloads have started to slow and its retention lags that of ChatGPT after 14 days, Sensor Tower data shows.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
The analysts said retailers and brands have spent years fighting for shelf space, advertising dominance, search results and app downloads.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
Muse has amassed more than 2.5 million U.S. downloads since launching Sept. 8, according to data from Sensor Tower.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
The regulator said that while the company had followed all the correct procedures it had now "obtained the flight data recording downloads as well as other additional requirements" for further analysis.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
Elsie not only downloads the app that lets me access the othernet, she even creates a profile for me on Eurgphmthilthmsphlthm, the leading social media site in the supernatural world.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
I downloaded the app and began testing twice daily as recommended.
From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2026
But the decision "cannot remove copies already downloaded or prevent people from continuing to use them", said Poe Zhao, founder of the analysis publication Hello China Tech.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
Their weights, or the numeral parameters that the model learns throughout the training process, can be downloaded directly and run locally.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
Hugging Face is a leading platform for accessing open-weight AI, meaning the underlying numerical parameters can be downloaded and tweaked by users.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Plus, I downloaded PicQT, so it’s fun to edit the pictures I take.
From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina
Jobseekers are being warned to be vigilant as scammers are targeting people on job listings websites to trick them into downloading bogus interview tools.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
Hundreds of thousands responded by downloading the app; by Monday, MapQuest had climbed to No. 1 among navigation apps in Apple’s U.S.
From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026
And I was downloading podcasts in 15-minute increments to my iPod Nano.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
Holographic, or handwritten, wills are legal in about half of the states in the U.S, including Texas, but it’s not worth writing a will on the cheap or downloading one from the internet.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026
Why spend all that time downloading a movie playing all over Chicago?
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
