database

noun

da·​ta·​base ˈdā-tə-ˌbās 

ˈda-

also ˈdä-

computers

: a usually large collection of data organized especially for rapid search and retrieval (as by a computer)

an online database

database transitive verb

Examples of database in a Sentence

All of our customers' information was kept in a database.

Recent Examples on the Web

Some recorder databases do not support address searches, which is why the parcel number and owner names are helpful. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026

Most people do not have a relative searching government databases on their behalf. — Mark Lewyn, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026

That was one of the key messages shared by Ingke Purrmann, co-founder and chief revenue officer of JustWatch Media, the business-to-business arm of international streaming guide and database JustWatch. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026

Marlow says around 75 percent of Flock law enforcement customers have opted to share their data with participating agencies across the nation, effectively creating a quasi-national database that authorities can use to track the movement of vehicles. — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1962, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for database

• aerospace
• anatase
• anyplace
• commonplace
• cyberspace
• diabase
• diastase
• dnase
• elastase
• fireplace
• hyperspace
• interface

Kids Definition

database

noun

da·​ta·​base ˈdāt-ə-ˌbās 

ˈdat-

also ˈdät-

: a collection of data that is organized especially to be used by a computer