Downloadable describes something that can be copied from the internet or another computer onto your own device. When a game is downloadable, you can transfer it from a website or app store directly to your computer, tablet, or phone, where it becomes yours to use whenever you want.

Think of downloading like checking out a book from the library, except the library keeps its copy and you get your own. A downloadable video game stays on the game company's servers while also arriving on your device. You might buy downloadable music instead of CDs, download an ebook instead of buying a physical book, or grab a downloadable worksheet your teacher posted online.

Before the internet was common in homes, software came on floppy disks or CDs that you had to buy in stores. Today, many apps, games, movies, and documents are downloadable, which means you can get them quickly without leaving home. A common contrast to downloadable is streaming, where you watch or listen to something online without saving a copy on your device.