Input

How to spell input

5 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce input

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does input mean?

1. nounA contribution of information, ideas, effort, or resources put into something.
2. nounData or signals fed into a computer or other device for processing.
3. verbTo enter data or information into a computer or system.

Input in a sentence

• noun

  The manager welcomed input from every member of the team.

• noun

  The program rejects any input that contains invalid characters.

• verb

  Staff must input each invoice number before saving the record.

• noun

  The final report reflected the input of several departments.

• noun

  The sensor converts the raw input into a digital reading.

• verb

  You can input the new address directly on the booking screen.

Where does input come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

Input is a transparent compound of the everyday English elements 'in' and 'put', and both of those parts have deep Germanic roots: 'in' descends from Old English 'in', meaning 'within' or 'into', while 'put' comes from late Old English 'putian', meaning 'to push, thrust, or place'. For centuries the two words simply stood side by side, but the fused noun 'input' emerged in the 1700s, originally in Scottish usage referring to a contribution or amount put in. The word stayed fairly rare until the twentieth century, when computing seized on it: engineers needed a tidy term for the data or signal fed into a machine, and 'input' fitted perfectly. From that technical home it spread into general business and conversation, where it now means any contribution of ideas, effort, or information. Because it is a plain compound rather than a borrowing, the spelling holds no real surprise; the only thing to watch is keeping it as a single solid word with one 'p'.

How the word is built

• in- (in, into)
• put (to place or set)