cyberspace

American  

[sahy-ber-speys] / ˈsaɪ bərˌspeɪs /

noun

1. the realm of electronic communication.

2. virtual reality.

---

cyberspace British  

/ ˈsaɪbəˌspeɪs /

noun

1. all of the data stored in a large computer or network represented as a three-dimensional model through which a virtual-reality user can move

---

cyberspace Scientific  

/ sī′bər-spās′ /

1. The electronic medium of computer networks, in which online communication takes place.

---

cyberspace Cultural  

1. The space in which computer transactions occur, particularly transactions between different computers. We say that images and text on the Internet exist in cyberspace, for example. The term is also often used in conjunction with virtual reality, designating the imaginary place where virtual objects exist. For example, if a computer produces a picture of a building that allows the architect to “walk” through and see what a design would look like, the building is said to exist in cyberspace.

---

Etymology

Origin of cyberspace

First recorded in 1980–85; cyber(netics) ( def. ) + space ; coined by American-Canadian sci-fi author William Gibson (born 1948)

Example Sentences

But we no longer live exclusively in the age of the physical battlefield; we fight a parallel war in cyberspace, where U.S. dominance is challenged.

From The Wall Street Journal

The California types risk being overly provincial here, as if movie and TV production aren’t already being dispersed to global production centers and, indeed, into cyberspace with AI.

From The Wall Street Journal

A new cyberspace administration centralized the previously chaotic bureaucracy.

From The Wall Street Journal

Whoever provides the gateway to our favorite online services owns one of the most valuable tollbooths in cyberspace, said Gil Luria, an analyst with D.A.

From The Wall Street Journal

AI standards were spelled out in a landmark document, officially implemented last month, that was drafted by cyberspace regulators, cybersecurity police, state labs and China’s leading AI companies, including Alibaba and DeepSeek.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• computer network
• information technology
• web