search engine

noun

: computer software used to search data (such as text or a database) for specified information
also : a site on the Internet that uses such software to locate key words in other sites

Examples of search engine 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.
Everyone took the Meta keyword tag seriously and the practice of utilizing ‘white text on a white background’ to hide hidden keywords was a legitimate tactic that webmasters would use to include keywords in their website for search engine crawlers. — Alan Bradley, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026 Google spent years trying to weave generative AI into its product line up, from Gemini in our Google Docs to AI overview in our search engines, and now Nano Banana 2 in Google Earth. — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026 Although these numbers pale in comparison to how many people use standard search engines to locate information, their growth is substantial and therefore worth taking into consideration. — Kaitlyn Gomez, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2026 How these markets earn national rankings Travel search engine Holidu scored more than 1,500 markets based on Google ratings, review volume and product variety, naming Seattle’s Pike Place Market the top spot in its national list. — Lauren Schuster, Sacbee.com, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for search engine

Word History

First Known Use

1984, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of search engine was in 1984

Browse Nearby Words

search coil
search engine
search ephemeris
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Cite this Entry

“Search engine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/search%20engine. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

search engine

noun
: computer software used to search data (as text or a database) for specified information
also : a website that uses such software

More from Merriam-Webster on search engine

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about search engine

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