definition of repository
In information technology, a repository (pronounced ree-PAHZ-ih-tor-i) is a central place in which an aggregation of data is kept and maintained in an organized way, usually in computer storage. The term is from the Latin repositorium, a vessel or chamber in which things can be placed, and it can mean a place where things are collected.
Data repository is a somewhat general term used to refer to a destination designated for data storage. However, many IT experts use the term more specifically to refer to a particular kind of setup within an overall IT structure, such as a group of databases, where an enterprise or organization has chosen to keep various kinds of data. Some experts refer to a data repository as a partitioning of data, where partitioned data types are stored together.