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Definition of internet

internet

/ˈɪn.tɚˌnɛt/
in · ter · net
Plural:internets
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internet Lexical Profile

internet Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities, consisting of interconnected networks using standardized communication protocols.

Example

"Millions of students rely on the internet every day to conduct academic research and attend virtual classes."

2

Any set of two or more distinct computer networks linked together by routers and gateways to enable data communication between them.

Example

"The systems engineer configured a private internet to bridge the laboratory's separate local area networks."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for internet

Word Nuance & Usage

Although 'internet' and 'World Wide Web' are often used interchangeably in everyday speech, the internet refers to the underlying global infrastructure of interconnected hardware networks, whereas the Web is the system of hypertext documents and websites accessed over that network.

• Nearby Words

internationalize
internationally
internee
internet
internist
internment
internship

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in the early 1970s as a clipped form of 'internetwork' (combining the Latin prefix 'inter-', meaning 'between', with 'network') by computer scientists Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn while developing the TCP/IP communication protocols for ARPANET.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Internet. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/internet
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