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• net
  net

  noun

  a bag or other contrivance of strong thread or cord worked into an open, meshed fabric, for catching fish, birds, or other animals.
• NET
  NET

  National Educational Television.

net

¹ American  

[net] / nɛt /

noun

1. a bag or other contrivance of strong thread or cord worked into an open, meshed fabric, for catching fish, birds, or other animals.

   a butterfly net.

2. a piece of meshed fabric designed to serve a specific purpose, as to divide a court in racket games or protect against insects.

   a tennis net; a mosquito net.

3. anything serving to catch or ensnare.

   a police net to trap the bank robber.

4. a lacelike fabric with a uniform mesh of cotton, silk, rayon, nylon, etc., often forming the foundation of any of various laces.

5. (in tennis, badminton, etc.) a ball that hits the net.

6. Often nets. the goal in hockey or lacrosse.

7. any network or reticulated system of filaments, lines, veins, or the like.

8. Telecommunications. any network containing computers and telecommunications equipment.

9. Digital Technology. Sometimes Net internet (preceded by the, except when used before a noun).

   An overwhelming majority of Americans now have access to the net at home or at work.

10. Mathematics. the abstraction, in topology, of a sequence; a map from a directed set to a given space.

11. Astronomy. Net, the constellation Reticulum.

12. Informal. a radio or television network.

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verb (used with object)

netted, netting

1. to cover, screen, or enclose with a net or netting.

   netting the bed to keep out mosquitoes.

2. to take with a net.

   to net fish.

3. to set or use nets in (a river, stream, etc.), as for catching fish.

   Synonyms:

   trap, capture, seize

4. to catch or ensnare.

   to net a dangerous criminal.

5. (in tennis, badminton, etc.) to hit (the ball) into the net.

net ² American  

[net] / nɛt /

adjective

1. remaining after deductions, as for charges or expenses (opposed to gross).

   net earnings.

2. sold at a stated price with all parts and charges included and with all deductions having been made.

3. final; totally conclusive.

   After all that work, what was the net result?

4. (of weight) after deduction of tare, tret, or both.

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noun

1. net income, profit, or the like.

verb (used with object)

netted, netting

1. to gain or produce as clear profit.

NET ³ American  

1. National Educational Television.

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net ¹ British  

/ nɛt /

adjective

1. remaining after all deductions, as for taxes, expenses, losses, etc Compare gross

   net profit

2. (of weight) after deducting tare

3. ultimate; final; conclusive (esp in the phrase net result )

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noun

1. net income, profits, weight, etc

verb

1. (tr) to yield or earn as clear profit

net ² British  

/ nɛt /

noun

1. an openwork fabric of string, rope, wire, etc; mesh

2. a device made of net, used to protect or enclose things or to trap animals

3. 1. a thin light mesh fabric of cotton, nylon, or other fibre, used for curtains, dresses, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      net curtains

4. a plan, strategy, etc, intended to trap or ensnare

   the murderer slipped through the police net

5. sport

   1. a strip of net that divides the playing area into two equal parts

   2. a shot that hits the net, whether or not it goes over

6. the goal in soccer, hockey, etc

7. (often plural) cricket

   1. a pitch surrounded by netting, used for practice

   2. a practice session in a net

8. informal short for internet

9. another word for network

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verb

1. (tr) to catch with or as if with a net; ensnare

2. (tr) to shelter or surround with a net

3. (intr) sport to score a goal

   Rangers netted three times in seven minutes

4. to make a net out of (rope, string, etc)

5. (intr) to hit a shot into the net

net ³ British  

abbreviation

1. a company or organization

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net Cultural  

1. What remains after all deductions have been made. (Compare gross.)

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Usage

What’s the difference between net and gross? In the context of finance and accounting, net refers to the final amount that remains after deductions have been made, while gross refers to the total amount before any deductions. Of course, net and gross are common words with many other meanings, but these senses of net and gross are used in the context of measuring something (especially money) that has been accumulated—profit, income, earnings, gains, etc. The amount described or referred to as gross is everything that has been taken in, not accounting for things like debts, deductions, and expenses. The amount described or referred to as net is how much you have left after you’ve subtracted anything that doesn’t count toward profit, like debts and expenses. In other words, net is basically gross minus whatever you owe or have spent. For this reason, net is always lower than gross. For example, let’s say you decide to sell cupcakes at a bake sale. You spend $15 on ingredients, and you have to rent a table for $5, which equals $20 in expenses. Good news, you make $50 in cupcake sales. Your gross is $50. Minus the $20 in expenses, your net is $30. You could say you grossed $50 and netted $30. To remember the difference, remember that a net sifts whatever goes into it so that only some remains. Here’s an example of net and gross used correctly in the same sentence. Example: For this quarter, gross income was $2 million, but $1. 25 million in expenses and outstanding debts resulted in a net of only $750,000. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between net and gross.

Other Word Forms

• netlike
  adjective
• nettable
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of net¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English,  Old English noun net(t); cognate with Dutch, Old Norse net, Gothic nati, German Netz; akin to Latin nōdus “knot”; verb derivative of the noun

Origin of net²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English net, nette “worthy, good, after deductions”; see origin at neat ¹

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Explanation

A net is a device, made of fabric or rope stitched together, used to catch things such as fish or butterflies. Net can also refer to profits. There are many nets, but two kinds have to do with catching things and making profit. The first net is like a fisherman's net: it's a type of meshing (meaning it has holes) made from rope or wire. This net is used to catch fish, and the holes allow the water to pour out. Also, someone's net worth is how much money they have. A net profit is a company’s earnings. A larger net means more money.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

net NET netted netting

"It's a very old idea," he says, noting that net pens have been used to rehabilitate injured wild whales, or temporarily used while re-introducing captured orcas back into the wild.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

He is fixed on the live stream as a Ukrainian snare swoops in, hovers for a few seconds and drops a net on to the drone, dragging it from the sky.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

The Helsinki-based bank’s latest quarterly results showed corporate lending volume growth was high but mortgage demand remained weak amid competitive pressure, with a lingering impact on net interest margin.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

“Maybe not $100,000,” Ms. Ryu said, “Let’s look at . . . about $250,000. Can we live well on $250,000 a year of net income?”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Jonah caught the ball as it fell through the net.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Cloudflare NET 3.30%increase; green up pointing triangle plans to cut about 1,100 jobs as part of a restructuring plan driven by artificial intelligence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026

That’s called strength of schedule, and advanced metrics such as KenPom, NET and Wins Above Bubble usually favor power conference schools.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026

Excess NET formation has been linked to serious inflammatory and clotting conditions, including severe infections, autoimmune diseases, cancer, diabetes, and arthritis.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 13, 2025

Jo Coton, chief executive of the NET Academies Trust, which runs Katherines, said staff were "thrilled" with the "beautiful" new building.

From BBC ● Jan. 16, 2025

I’ve seen him launch it from thirty feet before, ALL NET.

From "The Crossover" by Kwame Alexander

Both kinds of calls netted agreement from a little over 50% of both strangers and friends.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

The legendary Ferenc Puskas scored a first-half hat-trick for the Spaniards, but Eusebio netted twice after the interval to seal Benfica a second successive crown.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

If so, it’d be quite the capper to a career that has netted him seven Oscar nominations, five for his screenplays and two for direction.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

At the same time, the company has netted more than $150 million in operational improvements since its last quarterly readout in June, Weinstein says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

Each Sunday she wears a different hat, sometimes one with netted lace hanging over her eyes, sometimes one with a big, wide brim.

From "Betty Before X" by Ilyasah Shabazz and Renée Watson

Down the road in the forest, two Canadian Leopard tanks were parked at an intersection, without any of the netting and drone defenses that have become indispensable in the war between Russia and Ukraine.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

It landed on the netting on the other side of the wall to tie the score.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

France recently sold the last of its New York gold, while upgrading it and netting a gain equivalent to $15 billion.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 6, 2026

However, Haaland went on to 52 goals that season, with Nunez netting only 15.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

By comparison, Abuela’s room was opulent, with its double bed, thick mattress, four bedposts from which to tie the mosquito netting, pillows, and a small crocheted rug.

From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago

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Related Words

• accumulate
• bring in
• earn
• reap

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