megabytes

IPA/ˈmeɡ.ə.baɪt/
KK[mˈɛɡəbˌaɪts]IPA/ˈmeɡ.ə.baɪt/

megabytes — noun

  • megabytessingular
  • megabytesesplural

1. a unit for measuring computer data that equals 1,048,576 bytes — the way a compu

1.名詞B2
釋義

a unit for measuring computer data that equals 1,048,576 bytes — the way a computer naturally counts information by grouping data in multiples of 1,024 (2¹⁰)

例句

Nadia checked her system monitor, and the 4 GB flash drive showed only 3,815 megabytes of free space.

binary calculation in operating systems vs. advertised size

The video file took up 892 megabytes of memory on Kenji's laptop after compression.

同義詞
  • mebibyte

    the precise IEC name for 1,048,576 bytes, used in formal technical writing to avoid confusion with the decimal megabyte

  • MiB

    the abbreviation for mebibyte; often seen in Linux and server documentation

文法句型

[number] + megabytes + of + [data/storage/memory]

用法筆記

Frequently shown in operating system displays, task managers, and system-monitoring tools. A number divisible by 1,024 (such as 2,048 or 4,096) almost certainly represents binary megabytes. The formal IEC term for this exact unit is mebibyte (MiB), but most software continues to label it 'MB'.

常見錯誤

❌My 256 GB phone has exactly 256,000 megabytes of space.
✅My 256 GB phone has about 244,000 binary megabytes available to the OS.
💡Manufacturers advertise capacity in decimal units (1 GB = 1,000 MB), but operating systems report it in binary megabytes (1 GB = 1,024 MB).

2. a unit for measuring computer data that equals 1,000,000 bytes — the way hard dr

2.名詞B2
釋義

a unit for measuring computer data that equals 1,000,000 bytes — the way hard drive, solid-state drive, and flash storage manufacturers describe capacity on product labels and in advertising

例句

The hard drive was advertised at 500 gigabytes, but the operating system showed roughly 465,000 megabytes.

contrast between advertised decimal size and actual binary size

Nellie compared two USB drives on the store shelf; the package claimed 64,000 megabytes on each.

同義詞
  • marketing megabyte

    an informal way to refer to the decimal megabyte used in product advertising

  • million bytes

    a plain-English explanation of the decimal megabyte amount

文法句型

advertised / listed / marketed as [number] + megabytes

[number] + megabytes + on the + [label / package / spec sheet]

用法筆記

Commonly seen on product packaging, marketing materials, and spec sheets for hard drives, SSDs, USB flash drives, and memory cards. Because the decimal megabyte is about 4.6% smaller than the binary megabyte, a drive advertised as 500 GB (decimal) shows roughly 465 GB (binary) once connected to a computer — this is normal, not a defect.

常見錯誤

❌The 128 GB USB stick is defective — it only shows 119 GB on my computer.
✅The 128 GB USB stick is working fine; the difference between 128 GB (decimal) and 119 GB (binary) is expected.
💡This discrepancy is caused by the binary-versus-decimal difference, not a hardware fault.