plugged-in
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
What does plugged-in mean? If you're plugged-in, you're in the know, in touch with what is going on, and very well-informed. You can also be so plugged in to a task, usually a technological one, to the point where you shut everything else out.
Etymology
Origin of plugged-in
1955–60, for literal sense
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As demand for artificial intelligence heats up, technology giants are racing to invest billions of dollars in the region, attracted by a growing plugged-in user base.
From Barron's ● Feb. 26, 2026
Since then, Tenev has come to realize that plugged-in, aggressive traders are actually key to his company’s success.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 26, 2025
But they are very plugged-in; they know the world around them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2025
Brandy Melville used teenage girls posting online about its clothing as a way to advertise their super soft, one-size-fits-all baby t-shirts and its beach aesthetic to other plugged-in teenage girls.
From Salon ● Apr. 9, 2024
I figured if anyone was unaware of my prophetic talents it was Mrs. Bernoffski, given that she wasn’t the most plugged-in personality in Stokum.
From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
