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

Earlier this month, the conservative pundit Tucker Carlson got in on the act and devoted an entire episode of his podcast to discussing how companies like Flock are creating an always-on surveillance state for American citizens. — T.m. Brown, CNN Money, 30 July 2026

And the newest wave has left CGI behind for photorealistic personas spun up with generative tools, always-on content engines that most viewers cannot clock as synthetic at all. — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

However, in the real world, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 lasted an impressive 63 hours with the always-on display enabled in my testing. — Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 26 July 2026

Samsung says both sizes can last up to 30 hours per charge with the always-on display turned on. — Stevie Bonifield, The Verge, 22 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for always-on

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