database

noun

da·​ta·​base ˈdā-tə-ˌbās How to pronounce database (audio)
ˈda-
also ˈdä-
Synonyms of databasenext
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Crimes like car theft, kidnapping and missing person reports have been solved quicker when officers can search the Flock database. — Irene Wright, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026 Alongside the latest projections, the agency released a database that categorized occupations based on their theoretical and observed exposure to AI. — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026 So her personal information, spread over multiple government databases, is messy, incomplete, often contradictory and may even have been inadvertently combined with others who share her name. — Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 The Heritage Foundation’s voter fraud database, a nationwide registry of voter fraud convictions, records 100 instances of noncitizen voting since 2000. — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for database

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1962, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of database was circa 1962

Rhymes for database

See All Rhymes for database

Browse Nearby Words

data bank
database
datable
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Cite this Entry

“Database.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/database. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

database

noun
da·​ta·​base ˈdāt-ə-ˌbās How to pronounce database (audio)
ˈdat-
also ˈdät-
: a collection of data that is organized especially to be used by a computer

More from Merriam-Webster on database

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for database

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about database

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