database

American  

[dey-tuh-beys] / ˈdeɪ təˌbeɪs /

Or data-base,

noun

1. a comprehensive collection of related data datum organized for convenient access, generally in a computer.

2. data bank.

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database British  

/ ˈdeɪtəˌbeɪs /

noun

1. a systematized collection of data that can be accessed immediately and manipulated by a data-processing system for a specific purpose

2. informal any large store of information

   a database of knowledge

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database Scientific  

/ dā′tə-bās′,dăt′ə- /

1. A collection of data arranged for ease and speed of search and retrieval by a computer.

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database Cultural  

1. A set of data grouped together in one location in (or accessible by) a computer. A computerized database has been likened to an electronic filing cabinet of information arranged for easy access or for a specific purpose.

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Etymology

Origin of database

First recorded in 1965–70; data + base ¹

Example Sentences

Forty-eight-year-old retailer Eszter Somfai had her home address shared online, after an internal party database with some 200,000 supporters' personal details was leaked last November.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

“I’m sure in the database they have me at 5-11 and seven-eighths.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Investors are concerned that Oracle’s legacy database business will be disrupted by AI-native competitors.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office brought the case to the DNA Doe Project, which developed a DNA profile and uploaded it to the GEDmatch database in January, according to the release.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

The largest section of the database appeared to be devoted to information on Halliday.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline