upload
Americanverb (used with object)
noun
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software, data, etc., that has been uploaded.
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the act or process of uploading.
verb
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To transfer data or programs from one's own computer or digital device to a server or host computer.
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Compare download
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have uploadedperfect
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has uploadedperfect 3rd person singular
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is uploadingprogressive 3rd person singular
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am uploadingprogressive 1st person singular
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are uploadingprogressive
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uploadssingular 3rd person
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have been uploadingperfect progressive
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uploadingparticiple
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has been uploadingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had uploadedperfect
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had been uploadingperfect progressive
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uploadedparticiple
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were uploadingprogressive plural
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was uploadingprogressive singular
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uploadedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of upload
Explanation
When you send any kind of data from your computer to the internet, you upload it. Want to change your social media profile picture? Just upload a new photo — maybe that one of you and your cat dressed in matching sweaters! Any time you share photos online, submit an assignment to the school website, or even send an email, you upload data. Typically this means transferring electronic information from an individual computer to a larger network or server. To download is the exact opposite — when you download something, you transfer it from a server to your computer. Both words date from about 1980.
Vocabulary lists containing upload
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.
"Good signal" was measured as a download speed of five megabits per second, an upload speed of 1.5 megabits per second, and a response time of 50 milliseconds.
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
Tech companies promising to "democratize" football are launching apps that allow young players to upload videos recorded on their phone of them showcasing their ball skills.
From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026
“Using Claude or ChatGPT, upload the job descriptions of the company, get all the relevant data you can about the role, and give it a concise prompt,” Grunewald said.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026
One single bootleg upload by independent journalist Matthew Keys amassed well over 600,000 views in a matter of hours.
From Salon • May 27, 2026
I reordered the upload sequence so the files I needed access to right away would get transferred first.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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.
