Noun

download (plural downloads)

1. A file transfer to the local computer, especially one in progress.

   The download took longer than I expected.

2. A file that has been, or will be transferred in this way.

   I got the download but it wouldn't work on my computer.

Derived terms

• DL , dl , d/l , D/L (abbreviation)

Antonyms

• upload

In computer networks, to download means to receive data to a local system from a remote system, or to initiate such a data transfer. Examples of a remote system from which a download might be performed include a webserver, FTP server, email server, or other similar systems. A download can mean either any file that is offered for downloading or that has been downloaded, or the process of receiving such a file.

The inverse operation, uploading, can refer to the sending of data from a local system to a remote system such as a server or another client with the intent that the remote system should store a copy of the data being transferred, or the initiation of such a process. The words first came into popular usage among computer users with the increased popularity of Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs), facilitated by the widespread distribution and implementation of dial-up access the in the 1970s.