mainframe

noun

main·​frame ˈmān-ˌfrām How to pronounce mainframe (audio)
1
: a large, powerful computer that can handle many tasks concurrently and is usually used commercially
… the million-dollar mainframe computers that took up entire floors of corporate premises …—John Derbyshire
2
dated : a computer with its cabinet and internal circuits especially when considered separately from any peripherals connected to the computer

Examples of mainframe in a Sentence

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.
Announced at the Hot Chips conference, the processor is the first dual-architecture mainframe chip from IBM and is being developed for future IBM Z and LinuxONE systems. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 25 Aug. 2026 The current system was installed three decades ago and runs on a mainframe and a computing language known as COBOL. — Bryan P. Sears, Baltimore Sun, 20 Aug. 2026 Krishna said investors won’t have to wait much longer for quantum computing to become a meaningful business line for the enterprise software and mainframes technology company, known as Big Blue. — Billy Bambrough, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 That was during a corporate mainframe computing boom, while AI was still in its infancy. — Humayun Chaudhry, STAT, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mainframe

Word History

First Known Use

1957, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of mainframe was in 1957

Rhymes for mainframe

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Browse Nearby Words

Mainer
mainframe
main gauche
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Cite this Entry

“Mainframe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mainframe. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

mainframe

noun
main·​frame ˈmān-ˌfrām How to pronounce mainframe (audio)
: a large fast computer that can do many jobs at once
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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