database

American  

[dey-tuh-beys] / ˈdeɪ təˌbeɪs /

Or data-base,

noun

databases plural

1. a comprehensive collection of related data organized for convenient access, generally in a computer.

2. data bank.

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database British  

/ ˈdeɪtəˌbeɪs /

noun

1. a systematized collection of data that can be accessed immediately and manipulated by a data-processing system for a specific purpose

2. informal any large store of information

   a database of knowledge

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database Scientific  

/ dā′tə-bās′,dăt′ə- /

1. A collection of data arranged for ease and speed of search and retrieval by a computer.

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database Cultural  

1. A set of data grouped together in one location in (or accessible by) a computer. A computerized database has been likened to an electronic filing cabinet of information arranged for easy access or for a specific purpose.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• databases
  plural

Etymology

Origin of database

First recorded in 1965–70; data + base ¹

Explanation

A database is an organized body of information. Libraries have lots of databases to help you find books, articles, or information. Looking for some information? You might need to check a database, probably at the library or online. A database collects a bunch of information and resources, usually on a common subject. Some databases feature newspapers; others are related to legal issues. The police use databases to track criminals, and the government uses databases to track terrorists. Anywhere there's information being collected and accessed, there's probably a database keeping track of it all.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

database databases

Grocery and restaurant prices are 11.5% and 24.9% higher in New York City, respectively, according to cost-of-living database Numbeo.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

The city uses a public database to track complaints, often from citizens, about robotaxi parking violations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

Homeland Security has previously told news outlets it does not have a “domestic terrorist” database, but said it monitors incidents of “threats, assaults and obstruction” of its officers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

Using the Ministry of Justice's online judgments database, the company identified 517 employment tribunal cases mentioning neurodivergent conditions in 2025, up from 265 in 2020.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

He played with the numbers some more, looked at the order of events, texts, and calls, which he’d finally gotten straight in the database.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

“These databases will always lag behind innovation and can be easily circumvented and generate false positives that block legal designs and wrongly flag everyday makers,” she said at a Senate hearing this month.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026

Researchers have long attempted to organize common sense into databases.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026

Asylum seekers are fingerprinted on arrival in the UK and checked against UK police databases, but these would not necessarily show a conviction from another country.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

Hotel owners rely on chains’ brand recognition, customer databases and marketing services.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026

Aviva may be the one modern Hebrew name that is ready to break out: it’s easy to pronounce, pretty, peppy, and suitably flexible. databases, here is a sampling of today’s high-end names.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt