Phrase guide

central processing unit

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

The part of a computer that fetches, decodes and executes instructions from memory, possibly through a cache.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computer-hardware, computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: CPU

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

(computer science) the part of a computer (a microprocessor chip) that does most of the data processing

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the CPU and the memory form the central part of a computer to which the peripherals are attached

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: CPU, C.P.U., central processor, processor, mainframe

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: electronic equipment, hardware, computer hardware

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

49 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: وحدَة المعالجَة المَرْكَزِيَّة — part of a computer
  • Bulgarian: центра́лен проце́сор (centrálen procésor) — part of a computer
  • Chinese Cantonese: 中央處理器 /中央处理器 (zung1 joeng1 cyu2 lei5 hei3) — part of a computer
  • Chinese Cantonese: 中央處理單元 /中央处理单元 (zung1 joeng1 cyu2 lei5 daan1 jyun4) — part of a computer
  • Chinese Cantonese: 中央處理機 /中央处理机 (zung1 joeng1 cyu2 lei5 gei1) — part of a computer
  • Chinese Mandarin: 中央處理器 /中央处理器 (zhōngyāng chǔlǐqì) — part of a computer
  • Chinese Mandarin: 中央處理單元 /中央处理单元 (zhōngyāng chǔlǐ dānyuán) — part of a computer
  • Chinese Mandarin: 中央處理機 /中央处理机 (zhōngyāng chǔlǐjī) — part of a computer
  • Dutch: centrale verwerkingseenheid — part of a computer
  • Esperanto: ĉeforgano — part of a computer
  • Esperanto: ĉefprocesoro — part of a computer
  • Esperanto: centra aparato — part of a computer
  • Esperanto: ĉefprocezilo — part of a computer
  • Finnish: keskussuoritin — part of a computer
  • Finnish: suoritin — part of a computer
  • Finnish: prosessori — part of a computer
  • French: unité centrale de traitement — part of a computer
  • French: unité centrale — part of a computer
  • French: processeur central — part of a computer
  • Galician: unidade central de procesamento — part of a computer
  • German: Hauptprozessor — part of a computer
  • German: CPU — part of a computer
  • Hungarian: processzor központi feldolgozóegység — part of a computer
  • Icelandic: miðverk — part of a computer
  • Indonesian: unit pengolah pusat — part of a computer
  • Irish: aonad lárnach próiseála — part of a computer
  • Irish: láraonad próiseála — part of a computer
  • Italian: unità centrale di elaborazione — part of a computer
  • Japanese: 中央処理装置 (chūō shori sōchi) — part of a computer
  • Japanese: 中央演算処理装置 (chūō enzan shori sōchi) — part of a computer
  • Korean: 중앙 처리 장치 (jung'ang cheori jangchi) — part of a computer
  • Macedonian: процесор (procesor) — part of a computer
  • Malayalam: സെൻട്രൽ പ്രൊസസിങ് യൂണിറ്റ് (seṉṭral prosasiṅŭ yūṇiṟṟŭ) — part of a computer
  • Polish: procesor — part of a computer
  • Portuguese: unidade central de processamento — part of a computer
  • Russian: центра́льный проце́ссор (centrálʹnyj procéssor) — part of a computer
  • Russian: центра́льное проце́ссорное устро́йство (centrálʹnoje procéssornoje ustrójstvo) — part of a computer
  • Russian: ЦПУ (CPU) — part of a computer
  • Serbo-Croatian: про̀цесор — part of a computer
  • Serbo-Croatian: pròcesor — part of a computer
  • Serbo-Croatian: centralna jedinica — part of a computer
  • Spanish: unidad central de procesamiento — part of a computer
  • Swahili: kitengo kikuu cha uchakataji — part of a computer
  • Swedish: centralprocessor — part of a computer
  • Tamil: மையச் செயற்பகுதி (maiyac ceyaṟpakuti) — part of a computer
  • Thai: หน่วยประมวลผลกลาง (nùay bpràmuan pŏn glaang) — part of a computer
  • Turkish: merkezî işlem birimi — part of a computer
  • Ukrainian: центра́льний проце́сор (centrálʹnyj procésor) — part of a computer
  • Vietnamese: bộ xử lí trung tâm — part of a computer