Internet

noun

In·​ter·​net ˈin-tər-ˌnet How to pronounce Internet (audio)
variants or internet
: an electronic communications network that connects computer networks and organizational computer facilities around the world
used with the except when being used attributively
doing research on the Internet
an Internet search

Note: In U.S. publications, the capitalized form Internet continues to be more common than internet, although the lowercase form is rapidly gaining more widespread use. In British publications, internet is now the more common form.

compare world wide web

Examples of Internet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Long-term, Wang expects a handful of technology names to come out on top given today’s high AI costs relative to the open and decentralized Internet craze of the 1990s and the 2000s. Samantha Subin, CNBC, 2 Nov. 2024 Hasn’t been no street presence, no Internet presence, no singles, no videos, no nothing. Angel Diaz, Billboard, 1 Nov. 2024 On a recent early morning in Mexico City, two men from the International Rescue Committee (IRC) secure tables, a medical privacy screen, and a satellite Internet kit to a flatbed truck with neon-green straps. Whitney Eulich, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Nov. 2024 Honeywell Forge, an Internet of Things platform that includes information from industrial designs, manuals, and real-world performance of Honeywell products, will leverage Google Cloud’s Vertex AI and Google’s large language models to build AI agents trained on this data. Eric Rosenbaum, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Internet 

Word History

First Known Use

1986, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Internet was in 1986

Dictionary Entries Near Internet

Cite this Entry

“Internet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Internet. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

Internet

noun
In·​ter·​net ˈint-ər-ˌnet How to pronounce Internet (audio)
: a communications system that connects computers and computer networks all over the world

More from Merriam-Webster on Internet

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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