peer-to-peer

American  

[peer-tuh-peer] / ˈpɪər təˈpɪər /

adjective

1. involving direct contact or exchange between individuals of a similar rank or position; person-to-person: P2P

   Studies have shown that peer-to-peer tutoring increases student performance across a range of subjects.

2. describing a computer network in which each node has the capacity to act as a server for all other nodes, allowing the exchange of information without a centralized server. P2P

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peer-to-peer British  

adjective

1.  P2P.  (of a computer network) designed so that computers can send information directly to one another without passing through a centralized server

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Etymology

Origin of peer-to-peer

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

Investigative reporters have tried to unwind his various corporate acquisitions, which include the peer-to-peer streaming service BitTorrent, and his claims of citizenship not only in St. Kitts and Nevis, but also Malta.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026

The Cash App segment includes the financial tools available to individuals within the mobile Cash App, including peer-to-peer payments, bitcoin and stock investments.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 27, 2026

Luxury goods are being resold by livestream on social-media platforms, through Shopify accounts and peer-to-peer resale sites like Vestiaire Collective where image-conscious brands have no control over how their goods are shown.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

For now, the Human Line Project provides accessible peer-to-peer support from those who really understand what it’s like for their delusions to be fanned to the point of becoming destructive.

From Slate • Feb. 2, 2026

Ask the software company producing expensive, specialized computer-assisted design programs costing thousands of dollars what happens when the program is made available on a "warez" site or a peer-to-peer filesharing network.

From The Public Domain Enclosing the Commons of the Mind by Boyle, James