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

Companies need systems that are verifiable, repeatable, and cost-effective—requirements that quickly erode the set-it-and-forget-it promise of fully autonomous, always-on agents. —Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2026

The pendant would essentially serve as an always-on camera for the smartphone that also includes a microphone for Siri input. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026

Proponents argue this kind of data-intensive, always-on monitoring is beyond the cognitive scope of any human provider. —Hilke Schellmann, Scientific American, 17 Feb. 2026

Nookula forecasts the next wave of AI products will be always-on systems, quietly managing workflows. —Yola Robert, Forbes.com, 28 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