mainframe

noun

main·​frame ˈmān-ˌfrām 

1

: a large, powerful computer that can handle many tasks concurrently and is usually used commercially

… the million-dollar mainframe computers that took up entire floors of corporate premises …

—John Derbyshire

2

dated : a computer with its cabinet and internal circuits especially when considered separately from any peripherals connected to the computer

Examples of mainframe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As mainframe modernization continues to grow, banks must bear both the operational costs of the legacy platform and the investment costs of the transformation. — Roshan Kumar Shetty, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

And that the way to make money, control politics, is to seize the mainframe. — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026

The traditional tech companies of the time built large mainframe computers. — Joel Achenbach, Washington Post, 1 July 2026

That refers to a mismatch between the county’s old mainframe and the portion of the bill that lists what the property owner paid for its first installment, a treasurer’s office official said. — A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1957, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for mainframe

• acclaim
• aflame
• airframe
• ballgame
• became
• declaim
• defame
• disclaim
• doorframe
• exclaim
• inflame
• nickname

Kids Definition

mainframe

noun

main·​frame ˈmān-ˌfrām 

: a large fast computer that can do many jobs at once