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.
-
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
-
have been downloadingperfect progressive
-
has been downloadingperfect progressive
Past
-
downloadedsimple
-
had downloadedperfect
-
was downloadingprogressive
-
were downloadingprogressive
-
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:
If I want to watch them in the right order, I have to download an app called Stardust TV.
From Slate ● Sep. 26, 2026
Suno lets users download what they make and release it elsewhere, with download caps and watermarks meant to curb abuse; songs made with its new models can be distributed through Believe and TuneCore.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
They allow me to download all posted information into ChatGPT and have it explain in layman’s terms what the medical information says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
"Any message asking a job seeker to download an app to participate in an interview is not legitimate."
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
If you need some staff paper, you can download this PDF file22 .
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
Mohan pointed out in a client note on Tuesday that Meta’s Muse reached 2.5 million downloads in its first two weeks, a sign that the agent’s popularity isn’t something to ignore.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 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
OpenAI’s then-general counsel David Lansky was among those who recommended free book downloads from LibGen as a possible data source, according to the filing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 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
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
Rombach emphasised his company's focus on "open-weight" AI models, some of which can be downloaded by researchers and developers, "increases transparency, increases safety".
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
It's been downloaded thousands of times, reports Wired magazine.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
He pushed for the broad dissemination of open-source AI models, which can be downloaded freely and used at a low cost.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
Sensor Tower data cited by BofA showed the app was downloaded more than 2.5 million times during its first two weeks.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
I downloaded a program called BPM, “beats per minute.”
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
Word of warning: It’s not worth writing a will on the cheap or downloading one from the Internet.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
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
Another resident spoke of downloading a smartphone app to track decibel levels throughout the day, intending to document the noise of the coaster screams and report any violations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
What if he’s staring at me through his own hack, downloading all of my info?
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
Definitions 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.
