# supercomputer

/ˌsupɝkəmˈpjutɝ/ (US) · /sˌuːpəkəmpjˈuːtɐ/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/supercomputer
Updated: 2026-05-28

## Definition

a computer that is much faster and more powerful than a normal one. It can solve very complex problems in a short amount of time.

For teachers: a high-performance computing system capable of performing at least one petaflop of processing power. Often used for scientific simulations, weather forecasting, or complex data analysis.

## Examples

- The university uses a supercomputer to study climate change.
- Researchers are using a supercomputer to model how proteins fold, which could lead to new medical treatments.
- Modern supercomputers are no longer just about raw processing speed; they are designed for massive parallelism to handle the data-intensive requirements of artificial intelligence and quantum physics.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.