data processing

[ dey-tuh-pros-es-ing, dat-uh, dah-tuh ]
See synonyms for data processing on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. processing of information, especially the handling of information by computers in accordance with strictly defined procedures and operations, as aggregation, sorting, analysis, or validation. Abbreviation: DP

Origin of data processing

1
First recorded in 1950–55
  • Also called in·for·ma·tion proc·ess·ing [in-fer-mey-shuhn pros-es-ing]. /ɪn fərˈmeɪ ʃən ˌprɒs ɛs ɪŋ/.

Other words from data processing

  • da·ta proc·ess·or, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for data processing

data processing

noun
    • a sequence of operations performed on data, esp by a computer, in order to extract information, reorder files, etc

    • (as modifier): a data-processing centre

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for data processing

data processing

Either the preparation of data for processing by a computer, or the storage and processing of raw data by the computer itself.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.