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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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uploadsimple
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uploadssimple
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have uploadedperfect
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has uploadedperfect
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am uploadingprogressive
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are uploadingprogressive
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is uploadingprogressive
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have been uploadingperfect progressive
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has been uploadingperfect progressive
Past
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uploadedsimple
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had uploadedperfect
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was uploadingprogressive
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were uploadingprogressive
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had been uploadingperfect progressive
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.
See Examples For:
Some, like Myreader, let users upload any book, whether or not it's under copyright, and then connect it to an AI interface.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
You can upload the company’s job description, along with all of the relevant data you can find about the role, and give the AI chatbot a concise prompt.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Worn on officers’ chests, the devices record a first-person view of every encounter in real time and upload it to the cloud for later review.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
The website allows users to upload georeferenced observations of plants and animals from virtually anywhere in the world.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
The app prompts me to upload a photo.
From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera
Trained entirely on a given pastor’s sermons and teaching, PastorGPT refreshes itself automatically each week by downloading and transcribing new sermon uploads from YouTube.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
Earlier this year, an Apple Music executive told Billboard that more than one third of new uploads were entirely created with AI.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
Unfortunately, episodes of “Wishbone” aren’t available to stream, though low-resolution uploads of episodes can be found on YouTube, or you can buy used “Wishbone” VHS tapes or DVDs online.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
The firm found that Starlink provided faster downloads and uploads, along with the least latency, which refers to the delay between an action, like starting a movie, and the system’s response time.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 11, 2026
He uploads it to Instagram in full color.
From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera
Roh uploaded photos of her wedding dress, luxury handbags and other possessions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
When Chhavi finally uploaded the videos that evening, one thing stood out.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
The admissions board posts public minutes on its website, but those take at least weeks to be uploaded after a meeting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Not to mention the legitimate worries about data breaches if, for instance, passports are required to be uploaded to verify age.
From Slate ● Jun. 18, 2026
I’m tempted to reach for my phone to see if I’ve missed any texts from Hudson, or to check Instagram to see if he has uploaded a new selfie.
From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
Some platforms are using AI tools to estimate ages based on photos, while users can also choose to prove their age by uploading a government ID.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
Increasingly, members of the public are photographing plants and animals they encounter and uploading them to online databases such as iNaturalist.
From Science Daily ● May 18, 2026
Silverman said police amassed “40 terabytes” of digital evidence in the case, which has made uploading and transmitting materials to the defense difficult.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026
The Try Guys announced last week that they may return with occasional “TryPod” episodes or seasons, and are experimenting with uploading videos to Spotify.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026
She started uploading the video and opened another.
From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner
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.
