throughput

American  

[throo-poot] / ˈθruˌpʊt /

Or thruput

noun

1. the quantity or amount of raw material processed within a given time, especially the work done by an electronic computer in a given period of time.

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throughput British  

/ ˈθruːˌpʊt /

noun

1. the quantity of raw material or information processed or communicated in a given period, esp by a computer

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Etymology

Origin of throughput

1920–25; from phrase put through, modeled on output

Explanation

Use the noun throughput to talk about how fast communication can travel over a channel, from input to output. For a computer system, the input is the information you enter, and the output is the information that is produced by the program. Throughput refers to how much output is being produced relative to the input. A system could send information at 50 bits per second of throughput, or 500 bits per minute. Throughput is a measure of how fast and efficient the program is, and maximum throughput is often called "bandwidth."

Example Sentences

Chevron forecasts 7% to 10% compound annual growth in its upstream portfolio and achieved record crude throughput in refining.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

Even a fully successful Project Freedom would probably result in a fraction of that throughput, Krishnan added.

From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026

That allows for lower latency and higher throughput, Mohan said.

From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026

Exxon’s refining throughput rose by 200,000 barrels a day in March compared with the previous month—an amount that is roughly equivalent to the production of an entire midsize refinery, Woods said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

"I want to check the throughput reactance first."

From "Things Not Seen" by Andrew Clements