search engine

noun

: computer software used to search data (such as text or a database) for specified information

also : a site on the Internet that uses such software to locate key words in other sites

Examples of search engine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Technology companies and retailers are rushing to get ahead of a shift in consumer behavior that prognosticators say will one day see people using autonomous agents to research, price and buy products rather than plugging queries into a search engine. —Spencer Soper, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2025

When one searches for something on Google, the resulting websites are not necessarily the best or most accurate but the most popular (along with some that have paid to be promoted by the search engine). —Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 26 Nov. 2025

Sarah Silbert, a strategist at the flight search engine Points Path, said the clothing guideline isn't enforceable and isn't likely to shift traveler behavior. —Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025

Berkshire’s auto insurance unit Geico was an early customer of Google, paying the search engine 10 bucks every time someone clicked on the ad at the time. —Yun Li, CNBC, 14 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1984, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

search engine

noun

: computer software used to search data (as text or a database) for specified information

also : a website that uses such software