Wiktionary
n. (context computing English) Any of several techniques for reducing the number of bits needed to represent an item of digital data, either to save storage or to use less bandwidth when transmitting it
Wikipedia
In signal processing, data compression, source coding, or bit-rate reduction involves encoding information using fewer bits than the original representation. Compression can be either lossy or lossless. Lossless compression reduces bits by identifying and eliminating statistical redundancy. No information is lost in lossless compression. Lossy compression reduces bits by removing unnecessary or less important information. The process of reducing the size of a data file is referred to as data compression. In the context of data transmission, it is called source coding (encoding done at the source of the data before it is stored or transmitted) in opposition to channel coding.
Compression is useful because it reduces resources required to store and transmit data. Computational resources are consumed in the compression process and, usually, in the reversal of the process (decompression). Data compression is subject to a space–time complexity trade-off. For instance, a compression scheme for video may require expensive hardware for the video to be decompressed fast enough to be viewed as it is being decompressed, and the option to decompress the video in full before watching it may be inconvenient or require additional storage. The design of data compression schemes involves trade-offs among various factors, including the degree of compression, the amount of distortion introduced (when using lossy data compression), and the computational resources required to compress and decompress the data.
Usage examples of "data compression".
That's a fine storage option you designed, terrific data compression capabilities.
Signal degradation from the data compression necessary to store the pattern would be too great to re-create actual living cells, but the proteins would be okay.
She'd been using him mostly for data compression and file updating—.
Richard had used his data compression subroutines to strip much of the data base onto cubes compatible with our portable computers.
If the uncertainty limit were lowered somehow then greater data compression would be possible.
The color values in his image were shifted and distorted, made garish by the data compression and security coding.