data center
noun
plural data centers
: a facility for housing computer systems and related equipment used for the storage and processing of large amounts of data
the construction of a new data center
The generators … ward against surges and power failures to ensure that the data center always runs smoothly.—
Tom Vanderbilt
Tom VanderbiltExamples of data center in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Currently, coal provides about 30% of the electricity consumed by data centers globally, according to the International Energy Agency.
—Alexa St. John, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2026
Whether the threat from data centers is real or perceived, communities and stakeholders are waking up and beginning to assign value to a resource that had previously been treated as free.
—Chris Morris, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
The announcement comes as the United States seeks additional sources of reliable electricity to meet growing demand from industry, data centers, and electrification initiatives.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 23 June 2026
Terry referenced studies conducted by Arizona State University and Cambridge University, which both found temperatures in nearby radii of data centers increased from nearly 1 to 4%.
—Kaley Fedko, CBS News, 23 June 2026
Currently, coal sources about 30% of the electricity consumed by data centers globally, according to the International Energy Agency.
—Alexa St. John, Fortune, 23 June 2026
Just four companies — Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms and Microsoft — plan to spend up to $720 billion this year, primarily on AI data centers.
—ABC News, 23 June 2026
Corning announced in January a $6 billion supply agreement with Meta Platforms for fiber optic cables to be used in the Facebook and Instagram company's data centers.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 23 June 2026
However, the job cuts are also tied to large capital expenditure to build Oracle’s data center infrastructure to support AI workloads.
—Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 23 June 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Alexa St. John, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2026
Whether the threat from data centers is real or perceived, communities and stakeholders are waking up and beginning to assign value to a resource that had previously been treated as free.
—Chris Morris, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
The announcement comes as the United States seeks additional sources of reliable electricity to meet growing demand from industry, data centers, and electrification initiatives.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 23 June 2026
Terry referenced studies conducted by Arizona State University and Cambridge University, which both found temperatures in nearby radii of data centers increased from nearly 1 to 4%.
—Kaley Fedko, CBS News, 23 June 2026
Currently, coal sources about 30% of the electricity consumed by data centers globally, according to the International Energy Agency.
—Alexa St. John, Fortune, 23 June 2026
Just four companies — Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms and Microsoft — plan to spend up to $720 billion this year, primarily on AI data centers.
—ABC News, 23 June 2026
Corning announced in January a $6 billion supply agreement with Meta Platforms for fiber optic cables to be used in the Facebook and Instagram company's data centers.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 23 June 2026
However, the job cuts are also tied to large capital expenditure to build Oracle’s data center infrastructure to support AI workloads.
—Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 23 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Data center.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/data%20center. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
