wireless

American  

[wahyuhr-lis] / ˈwaɪər lɪs /

adjective

1. having no wire.

2. noting or pertaining to any of various devices that are operated with or actuated by electromagnetic waves.

3. Chiefly British. radio.

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noun

1. wireless telegraphy or telephony.

2. a wireless telegraph or telephone, or the like.

3. any system or device, as a cell phone, for transmitting messages or signals by electromagnetic waves.

4. a wireless message.

5. Chiefly British. radio.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to telegraph or telephone by wireless.

wireless British  

/ ˈwaɪəlɪs /

adjective

1. communicating without connecting wires or other material contacts

   wireless networks

   wireless internet connection

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noun

1. old-fashioned another word for radio

Other Word Forms

• prewireless
  adjective
• wirelessly
  adverb
• wirelessness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of wireless

First recorded in 1890–95; wire + -less

Example Sentences

Many of these drones are flown using fibre optic cable connections - rather than radio or other wireless signals - making them difficult to intercept with current Israeli electronic counter-measures.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

Internet revenue rose 3.2%, the strongest since 2023, and wireless average revenue per unit stayed positive, analyst Vince Valentini says.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

At its San Francisco headquarters, wireless mics that attach to shirts are popular.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026

The wireless carrier beat analysts’ first-quarter earnings and revenue estimates.

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

Piano chords loll in the speaker of the wireless in the guard station, projecting rich blacks and complicated blues down the hall toward the key pound.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr