database

noun

da·​ta·​base ˈdā-tə-ˌbās 

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

The irony is companies are spending tens of billions of dollars on database and analytics infrastructure, yet starving the one layer that actually makes AI economically viable. —Jg Chirapurath, Fortune, 14 Nov. 2025

When a user uploads a photo, the algorithm locates the bee, crops the image and compares it to our database. —Kansas City Star, 14 Nov. 2025

Tools that is evaluating include those that can sift through large databases quickly or spot news in the torrent of information. —Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025

See the entire database of restaurant inspections here. —Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 14 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1962, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for database

• aerospace
• anatase
• anyplace
• commonplace
• cyberspace
• diabase
• diastase
• dnase
• elastase
• fireplace
• hyperspace
• interface

Kids Definition

database

noun

da·​ta·​base ˈdāt-ə-ˌbās 

ˈdat-

also ˈdät-

: a collection of data that is organized especially to be used by a computer