cyber

¹ American  

[sahy-ber] / ˈsaɪ bər /

noun

1. (used alone as a substitute for many compound words that begin with the combining form cyber-, as cyberattack, cybersecurity, cyberterrorism, orcyberwarfare ): Ethical hackers are being recruited for careers in cyber.

   GPS may be vulnerable to jamming and cyber.

   Ethical hackers are being recruited for careers in cyber.

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adjective

1. of or relating to computers, typically to one of the technology domains named with the combining form cyber-, as cyberterrorism, cyberwarfare, or cyberattack: several cyber breaches; cyber plots.

   a cyber threat;

   several cyber breaches;

   cyber operations;

   cyber plots.

verb (used without object)

1. to engage in cybersex.

   People playing the MMO were cybering in voice chat, sometimes without even creating a separate channel to keep it private.

cyber- ² American  

Digital Technology.

1. a combining form meaning “computer,” “computer network,” or “virtual reality,” used in the formation of compound words (cybertalk; cyberart; cyberspace ) and by extension meaning “expressing visions of the future” (cyberfashion ).

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cyber- British  

combining form

1. indicating computers

   cyberphobia

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cyber– Scientific  

1. A prefix that means “computer” or “computer network,” as in cyberspace, the electronic medium in which online communication takes place.

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Usage

What does cyber- mean? Cyber- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “computer” or "computer network." In many instances, it is used to refer generally to the internet. It is often used in technical terms, especially in computer science.Cyber- comes from a shortening of the term cybernetics, meaning “the study of communication and control in humans and mechanical systems.” Cybernetics ultimately comes from Greek kybernḗtēs, meaning "helmsman" or "steersman.” Learn more about cybernetics (and how it is related to the word govern) at our entry for the term.

Etymology

Origin of cyber¹

First recorded in 1990–95; from cyber- ( def. )

Origin of cyber-¹

Extracted from cybernetics

Example Sentences

Many cyber chiefs, facing flat budget growth, are also redirecting labor costs into automated security tools, both to fill workforce gaps and to keep pace with hackers tapping AI to supercharge attacks, they say.

From The Wall Street Journal

U.S. cyber and intelligence can help with “leveling the battlefield for unarmed civilians facing an armed regime,” he writes.

From The Wall Street Journal

In addition, “its geography allows for satellite ground stations and secure communications infrastructure that are increasingly vital as rivals develop counter-space and cyber capabilities,” Atlantic Council fellow Justina Budginaite-Froehly wrote on Monday External link.

From Barron's

A school in Nuneaton has been forced to shut after a cyber attack affected parts of its IT systems.

From BBC

Businesses need to know more about the cyber practices and protections of their critical tech providers, and demand better, before a breach, according to WSJ Pro Cybersecurity readers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• computerized