network

American  

[net-wurk] / ˈnɛtˌwɜrk /

noun

1. any netlike combination of filaments, lines, veins, passages, or the like.

   a network of arteries; a network of sewers under the city.

2. Radio and Television.

   1. a group of transmitting stations linked by wire or microwave relay so that the same program can be broadcast or telecast by all.

   2. a company or organization that provides programs to be broadcast over these stations.

      She was hired by the network as program coordinator.

3. Telecommunications, Computers. a system containing any combination of computers, computer terminals, printers, audio or visual display devices, or telephones interconnected by telecommunication equipment or cables: used to transmit or receive information.

4. an association of individuals having a common interest, formed to provide mutual assistance, helpful information, or the like.

   a network of recent college graduates.

5. a system of interrelated buildings, offices, stations, etc., especially over a large area or throughout a country, territory, region, etc..

   a network of supply depots.

6. Electricity. an arrangement of conducting elements, as resistors, capacitors, or inductors, connected by conducting wire.

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verb (used without object)

1. to cultivate people who can be helpful to one professionally, especially in finding employment or moving to a higher position.

   His business lunches were taken up with networking.

verb (used with object)

1. to place (as a program from a local radio or television station) in or on a network.

   The station will try to network the local cooking show.

2. to connect to a network.

   Our freelancers are networked to the same system as our regular employees.

3. to distribute widely.

   We charge a small fee for networking your résumé.

4. to cover with or as if with a network.

   to network a bay with buoys.

5. to organize into a network.

   to network the state's independent stations.

6. to broadcast (a program) over a radio or television network.

network British  

/ ˈnɛtˌwɜːk /

noun

1. an interconnected group or system

   a network of shops

2. Also: net.  a system of intersecting lines, roads, veins, etc

3. another name for net 1 netting

4. radio television a group of broadcasting stations that all transmit the same programme simultaneously

5. electronics a system of interconnected components or circuits

6. computing a system of interconnected computer systems, terminals, and other equipment allowing information to be exchanged

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verb

1. (tr) radio television to broadcast on stations throughout the country

   the Scotland–England match was networked

2. computing (of computers, terminals, etc) to connect or be connected

3. (intr) to form business contacts through informal social meetings

network Scientific  

/ nĕt′wûrk′ /

1. A system of computers and peripherals, such as printers, that are linked together. A network can consist of as few as two computers connected with cables or millions of computers that are spread over a large geographical area and are connected by telephone lines, fiberoptic cables, or radio waves. The Internet is an example of very large network.

2. See more at LAN WAN

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network Cultural  

1. A system of computers that are joined together so that they can communicate by exchanging information and sharing resources. (See Internet and lan.)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• supernetwork
  noun
• subnetwork
  noun
• nonnetwork
  adjective
• networker
  noun

Etymology

Origin of network

First recorded in 1550–60, and in 1910–15 network for def. 2; net ¹ + work

Explanation

A network is any interconnected system. The Internet is a network of computers all talking to one another. A subway is a network of interconnected train lines running underneath the city. A wise man once said that if the atom was the symbol of the 20th century, the network should be the symbol of the 21st. Increasingly our world relies on networks, the vast interconnected systems of people, electronics, ideas and even resources. To put pressure on any one part of a network is to put pressure on all parts, because, by definition, a network is interconnected. Whether the network is a television network, a cellular network, or a social network — each is a vast system of interconnected parts.

Example Sentences

One way to approach this is by reframing retirement planning as “life planning,” said Melissa Caro, a certified financial planner and founder of online personal-finance education site My Retirement Network.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026

The free meals programme has been linked to at least 33,000 food poisoning cases as of April, according to local non-governmental organisation Network for Education Watch.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

Starbucks’ Pride Network employee group this year curtailed its investment, for example, though its float will still appear in the parade.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network: it creates a secure private tunnel over public networks, such as the internet, to shield your online activity from prying eyes.

From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026

It owed its beginnings to a fine blend of Yankee ingenuity and huck-sterism, its selling the first primordial example of the Home Shopping Network.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

Related Words

• chain
• grid
• net
• organization
• structure
• system
• web