noun

back end

BAK-end

Back end (noun) means the part of a website or application that runs on a server rather than on the user's device, handling stored data, accounts, calculations and the rules of the business. Example: “Passwords are never checked in the browser; that happens in the back end.”

noun

technical The part of a website or application that runs on a server rather than on the user's device, handling stored data, accounts, calculations and the rules of the business.

"Passwords are never checked in the browser; that happens in the back end."

"The back end went down, so the site loaded but nothing would save."

informal Loosely, the administrative area of a website where staff manage content, orders or users, as opposed to the public pages.

"Log into the back end and mark the order as dispatched."

adjective

technical Relating to that server-side part of a system, or to the work of building it.

"She is a back-end engineer and spends most of her day on databases."

How to Use Back end

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe part of a website that runs on a company's computers, not yours.

When to use it

Written back end as a noun and back-end as a modifier; backend as one word is common among developers.

Memory tip

The back end is not the same thing as the server itself: the server is the machine, the back end is the software running on it.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

front end API → server →

Common pairings

back-end developer back-end service back-end database front end and back end

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

Passwords are never checked in the browser; that happens in the _____.

Etymology

A compound of back and end, describing the part of a system furthest from the user.

Origin: English

Synonyms

View more →

server side server-side application service layer server-side admin area control panel dashboard

Antonyms

front end client side front-end client-side

Related Words

board panel dashboard front end analytics UI

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the back end and a database?

A database stores the data. The back end is the code that decides what may be read or written, checks permissions, applies the rules and returns results. A back end almost always talks to one or more databases, but the two are separate parts.

Does every website have a back end?

No. A purely static site — files served exactly as they were written — has no back-end application at all. Anything with logins, saved data, payments or personalised content does.

Why can't the back end run in the browser?

Anything sent to the browser can be read and altered by the person using it, so secrets such as passwords, keys and pricing rules are kept on the server where the user cannot reach them.

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