CPU
abbreviation or noun
variants
or less commonly cpu
plural CPUs also cpus
: 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
The speed at which the central processing unit (CPU) runs, measured in megahertz, is a good indicator of a computer's power …—
Brad Hill
Brad HillThese [gaming] consoles require operating systems and CPUs that are different from desktop computers.—finance.yahoo.com
—often used before another nounfinance.yahoo.comCPU speed/performance
called also central processing unit, processor
Examples of CPU in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
No doubt, the CPU, dubbed the AGI CPU, will be a big conversation on the earnings call, as this marks a strategic shift for the company into designing a complete chip rather than simply licensing its Arm instruction set to other chipmakers in exchange for royalties.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 3 May 2026
The energy savings varied widely over the workloads, but on average our chip consumed one-seventieth the energy of a CPU, and performed the computation on average eight times as fast.
—Olivia Hsu, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Apr. 2026
Nvidia recently released its first standalone CPU, adding to existing competition Intel faces from longtime rival AMD, as well as from server chips based on the ARM architecture (including an upcoming chip that ARM is making itself, instead of strictly licensing the chip design to other companies).
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
GoPro has fitted the camera with an improved Enduro 2 battery, which, coupled with the powerful GP3 CPU, enables the camera to record more than three hours of 4K video and more than five hours of HD video.
—New Atlas, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for CPU
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Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 3 May 2026
The energy savings varied widely over the workloads, but on average our chip consumed one-seventieth the energy of a CPU, and performed the computation on average eight times as fast.
—Olivia Hsu, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Apr. 2026
Nvidia recently released its first standalone CPU, adding to existing competition Intel faces from longtime rival AMD, as well as from server chips based on the ARM architecture (including an upcoming chip that ARM is making itself, instead of strictly licensing the chip design to other companies).
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
GoPro has fitted the camera with an improved Enduro 2 battery, which, coupled with the powerful GP3 CPU, enables the camera to record more than three hours of 4K video and more than five hours of HD video.
—New Atlas, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for CPU
Cite this Entry
“CPU.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/CPU. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cpu
nounoften capitalized C&P&U
: the part of a computer that does most of the data processing
Etymology
central processing unit
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