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
Recent Examples on the Web
The company laid off 50,000 people in 1993, when chip technology evolved and the tech industry moved away from large mainframe computers.
—Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 31 Jan. 2026
The mainframe cycle has returned, which is both remarkable and somewhat amusing in 2026.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
As delays have mounted, so have ancillary project management costs and the price of keeping the county’s mainframe computers running.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
The first computer the RESISTORS used was a Burroughs Datatron 205 mainframe, which occupied most of two walls in Kagan’s barn.
—IEEE Spectrum, 12 Dec. 2025
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Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 31 Jan. 2026
The mainframe cycle has returned, which is both remarkable and somewhat amusing in 2026.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
As delays have mounted, so have ancillary project management costs and the price of keeping the county’s mainframe computers running.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
The first computer the RESISTORS used was a Burroughs Datatron 205 mainframe, which occupied most of two walls in Kagan’s barn.
—IEEE Spectrum, 12 Dec. 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 3 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mainframe
noun
main·frame
ˈmān-ˌfrām
: a large fast computer that can do many jobs at once
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