mebibyte

8.7

A unit of computer data equal to 1,048,576 bytes

noun
/ˈmɛbɪˌbaɪt/

Specialized

: mebibyte

A single mebibyte is equal to 1,048,576 bytes.

Examples

My document became 1 mebibyte in size after adding several images.
The file size was exactly one mebibyte when I checked my computer.
My hard drive has a capacity of 500 mebibytes for backup files.
Some software installations require at least 300 mebibytes of free space.
The file size is 5 mebibytes.
The software download was 25 mebibytes, requiring a fast internet connection.
To install the program, your device needs at least 150 mebibytes of available memory.

Synonyms

MiB

vsmebibyte

Specialized

1 7.3

A unit of digital information used in computing equal to 1,048,576 bytes

has identical value but uses the full unit name rather than the abbreviation

How Big

YiB

Specialized

9.9

exbibyte

Specialized

9.9

pebibyte

Specialized

9.9

tebibyte

Specialized

9.9

gibibyte

Specialized

7.1

mebibyte

Specialized

8.7

kibibyte

Specialized

7.6

Surface Forms

mebibyte singular

mebibytes plural

Morphology

mebibyte = byte (semi-transparent) = mebi + byte

The form indicates a multiple of 'byte' (so the relation to 'byte' is clear), but the specific binary factor (2^20) and the combining form 'mebi-' are technical and not deducible by average learners.

Etymology

Mebibyte was made by mixing mega and binary, with byte as the unit of data, so mebi shows a 'mega' in binary form. It was made to mean exactly 1,048,576 (2^20) bytes, so a mebibyte is like a 'megabyte' but counted in binary rather than in thousands.