A database is an organized collection of information or structured data, stored electronically in a computer. A database is usually controlled by a database management system (DBSM). Cumulatively, the data, DBMS, and associated applications represent a database system, called an abbreviated database.

The data from the most common types of databases are usually distributed on lines and columns, in different tables, to make data processing and querying more efficient. The data can be easily accessed, managed, modified, updated, controlled and organized. Most databases use structured query language (SQL) to write and query data.