storage

American  

[stawr-ij, stohr-] / ˈstɔr ɪdʒ, ˈstoʊr- /

noun

storages plural

1. the act of storing; state or fact of being stored.

   All my furniture is in storage.

2. capacity or space for storing.

3. a place, as a room or building, for storing.

4. Computers. memory.

5. the price charged for storing goods.

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storage British  

/ ˈstɔːrɪdʒ /

noun

1. the act of storing or the state of being stored

2. space or area reserved for storing

3. a charge made for storing

4. computing

   1. the act or process of storing information in a computer memory or on a magnetic tape, disk, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a storage device

      storage capacity

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storage Idioms  

1. see in cold storage.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonstorage
  noun
• prestorage
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• storages
  plural

Etymology

Origin of storage

First recorded in 1605–15; store + -age

Explanation

Storage refers to storing something, like in a basement or attic. People keep all sorts of things in storage — from fur coats to bowling trophies. When you store something, you put it away somewhere safe, so storage is the act of storing. Squirrels gather nuts and put them in storage by hiding them. A grocery store might use a stockroom for storage. If you have canned food in the basement, that's storage. Some storage is for emergencies, while other storage is for things you might want to look at another time, like old photos. Things in storage are being saved for later.

Example Sentences

Last September, conservators completed a tricky operation to move the tapestry from its museum in northwestern Normandy, which it had not left since 1983, to a secret storage location.

From Barron's • Jul. 9, 2026

Scientists have generally expected that rising atmospheric CO2 levels would boost photosynthesis, leading to faster growth and increased long term carbon storage.

From Science Daily • Jul. 9, 2026

The attacks were broader in scope than Tuesday’s, hitting many of the same targets as well as missile and drone storage areas around the Arabian Gulf, according to a senior U.S. official.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026

But McCulloch said with only about eight days of gas storage, the UK would have limited options in the event of "a gas supply emergency."

From BBC • Jul. 8, 2026

The polar bear swished his big paw around inside the storage compartment, looking for something else to eat.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

Related Words

• cache
• depot
• repository
• stockpile
• storehouse