download

American  

[doun-lohd] / ˈdaʊnˌloʊd /

verb (used with object)

• downloads,
  present (3rd person singular)
• downloaded,
  past participle,  past
• downloading
  present participle

1. to transfer (software, data, character sets, etc.) from a distant to a nearby computer, from a larger to a smaller computer, or from a computer to a peripheral device.

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noun

• downloads
  plural

1. software, data, etc., that has been downloaded.

   the best free music downloads.

2. the act or process of downloading.

download British  

/ ˈdaʊnˌləʊd /

verb

1. to copy or transfer (data or a program) into the memory of one computer system from a larger one

2. 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

3. to delegate or assign (work, responsibilities, costs, etc) to a someone at a lower level of an organization; off-load

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noun

1. a file transferred onto a computer from another computer or the internet

download Scientific  

/ doun′lōd′ /

1. To transfer data or programs from a server or host computer to one's own computer or digital device.

2. Compare upload

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• downloadable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• downloads
  plural

Participles

• downloading
  present
• downloaded
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• download
  simple
• downloads
  simple
• have downloaded
  perfect
• has downloaded
  perfect
• am downloading
  progressive
• are downloading
  progressive
• is downloading
  progressive
• have been downloading
  perfect progressive
• has been downloading
  perfect progressive

Past

• downloaded
  simple
• had downloaded
  perfect
• was downloading
  progressive
• were downloading
  progressive
• had been downloading
  perfect progressive

Future

• will download
  simple
• will have downloaded
  perfect
• will be downloading
  progressive
• will have been downloading
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of download

down ¹ + load

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

download downloads downloaded downloading

The fast-food standards have them, of course, but so do regional chains and neighborhood coffee shops: download this, order ahead, skip the line, collect points, save your usual.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026

Information such as old bank statements won't be accessible after the move so people might want to download these before they switch.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

What this means is that well-versed techies can now download and modify this AI without approval from Meta.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

Glimmer is an open weight model, meaning users can download and modify the underlying rules that govern the AI system.

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

I download every Weaves song I can find.

From "Sparrow" by Sarah Moon

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

The podcast version, available on platforms including Apple and Spotify, has topped one billion downloads.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

But it’s still built like a tasteful record store with hi-res audio and downloads, no ad tier, and a glossy music magazine championing outsider acts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 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

I look around his room as my app downloads onto his phone, seeing the note I slipped under his door this morning sitting on top of his bed.

From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott

It lacks a resident navigation system but you can download apps—someone before me had downloaded YouTube, for instance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

Zuckerberg said in an Instagram video Monday that his company would open the weights for its latest AI model, enabling it to be downloaded by the public.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

Users who have downloaded his app include a strip club owner, a Buddhist monk and parents.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

Sean Harding downloaded Whatnot, a live-shopping app, after rekindling his childhood baseball-card collecting hobby.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

I’d downloaded “Hang On Little Tomato” to listen to as I wrote.

From "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" by Janae Marks

Eligible participants can add a driver’s license by downloading the DMV Wallet app or through Apple, Google and Samsung wallet apps and following the prompts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

The integration allows drivers to access Google Maps directly through the vehicle’s navigation system without downloading the app or relying on smartphone mirroring.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026

It was acknowledged that Google's version of Android does not prevent device owners downloading alternative web browsers or using other search engines.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 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

“You know the password. Don’t go downloading anything suspicious.”

From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson

Related Words

• load
• log in