wireless

[wahyuhr-lis]

adjective

1. having no wire.

2. noting or pertaining to any of various devices that are operated with or actuated by electromagnetic waves.

3. Chiefly British.,  radio.

noun

1. wireless telegraphy or telephony.

2. a wireless telegraph or telephone, or the like.

3. any system or device, as a cell phone, for transmitting messages or signals by electromagnetic waves.

4. a wireless message.

5. Chiefly British.,  radio.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to telegraph or telephone by wireless.

wireless

/ ˈwaɪəlɪs /

adjective

1. communicating without connecting wires or other material contacts

   wireless networks

   wireless internet connection

noun

1. old-fashioned,  another word for radio

Other Word Forms

• wirelessly adverb
• wirelessness noun
• prewireless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wireless¹

First recorded in 1890–95; wire + -less

Example Sentences

T-Mobile US gained wireless and internet subscribers in the second quarter, beating Wall Street’s expectations and outpacing rivals.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

But those deals require painstaking planning with both wireless companies and their national regulators in each country.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

“We really like wireless as a neighborhood in the U.S., and we have clearly outperformed everyone else,” Gopalan said in an interview, adding that T-Mobile’s home broadband business has more room to grow.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

It is making the leadership change as it faces stiff competition from rivals for home internet as well as wireless customers.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Its lead independent director, Daniel Schulman, is taking the helm as Verizon tries to shake off concerns it’s falling behind in wireless and broadband.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• Wi-Fi