computer dating: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal, Historical/Technical
Quick answer
What does “computer dating” mean?
A system for introducing potential romantic partners using a computer to match people based on their stated preferences, characteristics, and answers to a questionnaire.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A system for introducing potential romantic partners using a computer to match people based on their stated preferences, characteristics, and answers to a questionnaire.
The process, service, or industry of using algorithmic matching to arrange introductions for dating; historically refers to early, often commercial, computer-based matchmaking services (especially pre-internet), but the core concept underpins modern online dating apps.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. The term is understood and used identically in both varieties.
Connotations
Slightly more prevalent in UK historical contexts; in modern US usage, it is almost exclusively historical.
Frequency
Low frequency in contemporary speech in both regions, largely supplanted by 'online dating'.
Grammar
How to Use “computer dating” in a Sentence
[Subject] tried computer dating.The [noun] of computer dating.They met through computer dating.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “computer dating” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- They used a pioneering computer-dating agency in the 1980s.
American English
- He found his wife through a computer-dating questionnaire service.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to the historical dating services industry.
Academic
Used in sociology, media studies, or history to discuss the technological mediation of relationships.
Everyday
Used by older generations or when referring specifically to pre-internet services.
Technical
Used in discussions of early AI, recommendation systems, or human-computer interaction history.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “computer dating”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “computer dating”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “computer dating”
- Using it as a verb for a person ('He computer-dated her' is incorrect). It's a noun phrase or a modifier ('a computer-dating service').
- Confusing it with 'online chatting' or 'social media'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Conceptually, yes, as both use computers to facilitate matches. However, 'computer dating' is a historical term often referring to specific, centralized services (pre-worldwide-web), while 'online dating' is the modern, internet-based umbrella term.
No, it is not standard to say 'I computer-dated'. You would say 'I used computer dating' or 'I tried a computer dating service'.
Because it specifically describes a pre-internet, mainframe-era technology. The ubiquity of the internet and smartphones has made the 'computer' part of the phrase seem redundant or dated.
'Online dating' is the most direct and current synonym, though it lacks the specific historical context.
Computer dating is usually formal, historical/technical in register.
Computer dating: in British English it is pronounced /kəmˈpjuːtə ˈdeɪtɪŋ/, and in American English it is pronounced /kəmˈpjuːt̬ɚ ˈdeɪt̬ɪŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A numbers game (in dating context)”
- “Left to the algorithm”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of an old, bulky computer from the 1970s printing out a date's profile on dot-matrix paper.
Conceptual Metaphor
LOVE IS A CALCULATION / ROMANCE IS AN ALGORITHM.
Practice
Quiz
'Computer dating' is a term most closely associated with which concept?