central processing unit

noun

plural central processing units

: the component of a computer system that performs the system's basic operations (such as processing data), that exchanges data with the system's memory or peripherals, and that manages the system's other components : cpu

Examples of central processing unit in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Intel fabricates most of its own chips, including the company's valuable central processing units. — Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 12 Aug. 2026

And those signals travel to some central processing units so that the animal knows to like move away. — Quanta Magazine, 6 Aug. 2026

The company develops central processing units and deep computing units, accelerator cards designed for computing-intensive workloads. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 July 2026

At their core is a quantum processing unit (QPU), their version of a classical computer’s central processing unit. — Donald Keough, Christian Science Monitor, 27 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for central processing unit

• lunate
• multiunit
• subunit

Kids Definition

central processing unit

noun

: CPU