cyberspace

American  

[sahy-ber-speys] / ˈsaɪ bərˌspeɪs /

noun

1. the realm of electronic communication.

2. virtual reality.

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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

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cyberspace Scientific  

/ sī′bər-spās′ /

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

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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.

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Etymology

Origin of cyberspace

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

Explanation

Cyberspace is where online communication happens. If you've spent time chatting with friends on the Internet, you've been in cyberspace. The official definition of cyberspace is fairly technical: "the notional environment in which communication over computer networks occurs." Since it was coined in 1982 by science fiction writer William Gibson, it's become more popular to use cyberspace to mean "online" or "on the Internet," especially when social interactions happen there. Cyberspace is the almost metaphorical place where two people, separately typing on their keyboards, meet and communicate.

Example Sentences

"It signals a shift that could redefine the balance between attackers and defenders in cyberspace."

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

I may be a relative nobody in cyberspace, but I usually get a few hundred views in the first hours after posting.

From Slate • Jan. 27, 2026

The North Koreans have not only made their thievery more efficient, but have also refined their money-laundering techniques to the point that the stolen booty disappears into the dark reaches of cyberspace within days.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 28, 2025

In two further statements, Mr Collins detailed threats posed by China in cyberspace and to the UK's democratic institutions but avoided labelling the country "a threat to national security".

From BBC • Oct. 27, 2025

Increasingly, it’s a difficult transition between freewheeling cyberspace and the oppressive, rule-bound Old Fartism that dominates American education.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

Related Words

• computer network
• information technology
• web