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
John Derbyshire2
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
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As a refresher, here’s the story so far: The ARPANET was a project started by the Defense Department’s Advanced Research Project Agency in 1969 to network different mainframe computers together across the country.
—ArsTechnica, 10 June 2025
In addition, the county spent $80 million on upkeep to the old mainframe and to watchdog the troubled Tyler contract, bringing the total taxpayer cost so far to $265 million for all three deals, the investigation found.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 10 Apr. 2025
Whether the source of data is an IoT device or an IBM mainframe, the collected data must first be classified and then featurized or otherwise prepared for use before it can be pipelined to a downstream data warehouse or AI application.
—John Ottman, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
In past years, the same report was generated on the county’s old mainframe system, which Tyler helped phase out.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for mainframe
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ArsTechnica, 10 June 2025
In addition, the county spent $80 million on upkeep to the old mainframe and to watchdog the troubled Tyler contract, bringing the total taxpayer cost so far to $265 million for all three deals, the investigation found.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 10 Apr. 2025
Whether the source of data is an IoT device or an IBM mainframe, the collected data must first be classified and then featurized or otherwise prepared for use before it can be pipelined to a downstream data warehouse or AI application.
—John Ottman, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
In past years, the same report was generated on the county’s old mainframe system, which Tyler helped phase out.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for mainframe
Cite this Entry
“Mainframe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mainframe. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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mainframe
noun
main·frame
ˈmān-ˌfrām
: a large fast computer that can do many jobs at once
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