database

noun

da·​ta·​base ˈdā-tə-ˌbās How to pronounce database (audio)
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
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.
See the entire database of restaurant inspections here. Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 17 Oct. 2025 McCourt voluntarily gave up his state police certification in July, according to the Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training database. Katie Langford, Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2025 Even Google admitted that attackers accessed a Salesforce database used for advertising leads. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025 Oracle, which rose 3% on Thursday, said during its AI World conference in Las Vegas that its core database and data platform business will grow and also announced a cloud computing deal with Meta. Liz Napolitano,pia Singh, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for database

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1962, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of database was circa 1962

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Cite this Entry

“Database.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/database. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

database

noun
da·​ta·​base ˈdāt-ə-ˌbās How to pronounce database (audio)
ˈdat-,
 also  ˈdät-
: a collection of data that is organized especially to be used by a computer
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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