peer-to-peer

American  

[peer-tuh-peer] / ˈpɪər təˈpɪər /

adjective

1. involving direct contact or exchange between individuals of a similar rank or position; person-to-person: P2P

   Studies have shown that peer-to-peer tutoring increases student performance across a range of subjects.

2. describing a computer network in which each node has the capacity to act as a server for all other nodes, allowing the exchange of information without a centralized server. P2P

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peer-to-peer British  

adjective

1.  P2P.  (of a computer network) designed so that computers can send information directly to one another without passing through a centralized server

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Etymology

Origin of peer-to-peer

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

Patients can also get abortion drugs from peer-to-peer networks, like Red State Access, that provide imported abortion pills with no medical consultation or prescription needed.

From Slate • May 18, 2026

Investigative reporters have tried to unwind his various corporate acquisitions, which include the peer-to-peer streaming service BitTorrent, and his claims of citizenship not only in St. Kitts and Nevis, but also Malta.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026

Luxury goods are being resold by livestream on social-media platforms, through Shopify accounts and peer-to-peer resale sites like Vestiaire Collective where image-conscious brands have no control over how their goods are shown.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

She also borrowed against bitcoin, using Firefish, a noncustodial peer-to-peer lending platform, which puts your bitcoin into escrow.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 6, 2026

A person who uses a peer-to-peer system that no one else uses is in the position of the person who owns the only fax machine in the world.

From The Public Domain Enclosing the Commons of the Mind by Boyle, James