A file transfer to the local computer.
"I need to download the latest update so my phone has all the new features before I leave for work."
In plain English: A download is a file that you get from the internet and save onto your device.
"I don't have enough space on my phone to store another large download."
Usage: Use "download" as a noun to refer to the specific file or data that has been transferred from the internet to your device, such as "the download completed successfully." Avoid using it as a verb when you mean the act of transferring, which is simply "to download."
transfer a file or program from a central computer to a smaller computer or to a computer at a remote location
"I need to download the latest software update before I can install it on my laptop."
To transfer data from a remote computer (server) to a local computer, usually via a network.
"I need to wait for my large video files to finish downloading before I can watch them offline."
In plain English: To download means to get a file from the internet onto your device so you can save and use it later.
"I need to download the latest update for my phone app."
Usage: Use download as a verb to describe retrieving files or data from an online source to your own device. Avoid using it for uploading information or transferring data in the opposite direction.
The word "download" combines the prefix "down-" with "load." It originally referred to moving data from a remote source to a local computer, a usage that emerged in the early 1960s.