The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

DBMS \DBMS\ n. [acronym from DataBase Management System.]
   a database management system, a software system that
   facilitates the creation and maintenance and use of an
   electronic database.

   Syn: database management system.
        [WordNet 1.5]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

DBMS
    n 1: a software system that facilitates the creation and
         maintenance and use of an electronic database [syn:
         database management system, DBMS]

V.E.R.A. -- Virtual Entity of Relevant Acronyms (February 2016):

DBMS
       DataBase Management System (DB)


The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (30 December 2018):

database management system
DBMS

    (DBMS) A suite of programs which typically manage
   large structured sets of persistent data, offering ad hoc
   query facilities to many users.  They are widely used in
   business applications.

   A database management system (DBMS) can be an extremely
   complex set of software programs that controls the
   organisation, storage and retrieval of data (fields, records
   and files) in a database.  It also controls the security and
   integrity of the database.  The DBMS accepts requests for data
   from the application program and instructs the operating
   system to transfer the appropriate data.

   When a DBMS is used, information systems can be changed much
   more easily as the organisation's information requirements
   change.  New categories of data can be added to the database
   without disruption to the existing system.

   Data security prevents unauthorised users from viewing or
   updating the database.  Using passwords, users are allowed
   access to the entire database or subsets of the database,
   called subschemas (pronounced "sub-skeema").  For example, an
   employee database can contain all the data about an individual
   employee, but one group of users may be authorised to view
   only payroll data, while others are allowed access to only
   work history and medical data.

   The DBMS can maintain the integrity of the database by not
   allowing more than one user to update the same record at the
   same time.  The DBMS can keep duplicate records out of the
   database; for example, no two customers with the same customer
   numbers (key fields) can be entered into the database.

   Query languages and report writers allow users to
   interactively interrogate the database and analyse its data.

   If the DBMS provides a way to interactively enter and update
   the database, as well as interrogate it, this capability
   allows for managing personal databases.  However, it may not
   leave an audit trail of actions or provide the kinds of
   controls necessary in a multi-user organisation.  These
   controls are only available when a set of application programs
   are customised for each data entry and updating function.

   A business information system is made up of subjects
   (customers, employees, vendors, etc.) and activities (orders,
   payments, purchases, etc.).  Database design is the process of
   deciding how to organize this data into record types and how
   the record types will relate to each other.  The DBMS should
   mirror the organisation's data structure and process
   transactions efficiently.

   Organisations may use one kind of DBMS for daily transaction
   processing and then move the detail onto another computer that
   uses another DBMS better suited for random inquiries and
   analysis.  Overall systems design decisions are performed by
   data administrators and systems analysts.  Detailed database
   design is performed by database administrators.

   The three most common organisations are the hierarchical
   database, network database and relational database.  A
   database management system may provide one, two or all three
   methods.  Inverted lists and other methods are also used.  The
   most suitable structure depends on the application and on the
   transaction rate and the number of inquiries that will be
   made.

   Database machines are specially designed computers that hold
   the actual databases and run only the DBMS and related
   software.  Connected to one or more mainframes via a
   high-speed channel, database machines are used in large volume
   transaction processing environments.  Database machines have a
   large number of DBMS functions built into the hardware and
   also provide special techniques for accessing the disks
   containing the databases, such as using multiple processors
   concurrently for high-speed searches.

   The world of information is made up of data, text, pictures
   and voice.  Many DBMSs manage text as well as data, but very
   few manage both with equal proficiency.  Throughout the 1990s,
   as storage capacities continue to increase, DBMSs will begin
   to integrate all forms of information.  Eventually, it will be
   common for a database to handle data, text, graphics, voice
   and video with the same ease as today's systems handle data.

   See also: intelligent database.

   (1998-10-07)