always-on

adjective

al·​ways-on ˈȯl-wēz-ˈȯn 

-ˈän, 

-wəz-, 

-(ˌ)wāz-

also ˈȯ-

: always active, operating, or powered

an always-on Internet connection

When a power shortage occurs and electricity costs rise, the always-on devices scattered throughout … your facility consume increasingly expensive power.

—Gilbert Held

Examples of always-on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Modesty might actually seem attractive, after the nerve-jangling, always-on-tenterhooks Trump years. —Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026

Hydropower and renewables remain central to its mix, but they are constrained by variability, land availability, and the growing need for firm, always-on power. —Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026

Meanwhile in London, Bradley Cooper and Will Arnett had a red carpet moment, joined by Laura Dern and her daughter Jaya, and Margot Robbie showed off her always-on-point street style. —Katie Hill, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026

The display will lack ProMotion and always-on features. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 1 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for always-on

• aileron
• antiphon
• autobahn
• carillon
• castellan
• celadon
• cephalon
• chitosan
• cynodon
• denouement
• deuteron
• echelon