ISP

American  

abbreviation

1. internet service provider: a company that offers access to the internet and to email, usually for a monthly fee.

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ISP British  

abbreviation

1. internet service provider, a business providing its customers with connection to the internet and other related services

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Etymology

Origin of ISP

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

Cox Communications, a major broadband ISP, had asked the top court to throw out a jury verdict awarding $1 billion in damages to Sony Music Entertainment and other record labels.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

In a unanimous 9-0 ruling, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Cox and said an ISP was liable "only if it intended that the provided service be used for infringement."

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

You could, for example, send your P2P traffic through your VPN connection while sending the rest through your ISP connection.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

This could involve a further 1.28 million children being given a promise of support although the exact nature of the legal rights attached to an ISP are not yet clear.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026

Inside of a year, the ISP had a hundred thousand new customers and now it had a million -- more than half the broadband connections in the city.

From Little Brother by Doctorow, Cory