back up
verb
Simple meaning
To copy so that it can be restored if the main copy is lost.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
bakuhpSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈbæˈkʌp
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
idiomaticcomputingtransitive
To copy (data) so that it can be restored if the main copy is lost.
Move backwards from a certain position
“The bully had to back down.”
idiomaticintransitive
To move backwards, especially for a vehicle to do so.
Give moral or psychological support, aid, or courage to
idiomatictransitive
To provide support or the promise of support to.
idiomaticintransitiveof a blockage
To halt the flow or movement of something.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: To copy (data) so that it can be restored if the main copy is lost.
Used this way, back up is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is a computing use: it carries a fixed technical meaning inside software and systems work.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Clinical and technical
- Usage feel
- Technical and specialized
Where it naturally appears
- Technology
- Technical/specialist writing
- Business/professional
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.