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

Public cloud rewards bursty, variable demand, but for always-on workloads, pay-as-you-go premium and data egress fees compound fast. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 2026

More individual streaming platforms will likely roll out always-on channels that are designed to give people a way to watch certain series without having to choose a particular episode for themselves. — Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 20 Sep. 2026

Lucy Guo is no stranger to the always-on culture that defines Silicon Valley startups. — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2026

The 2026 mode of always-on digital contact means every part of Alex’s life perpetually crashes into the others. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 18 Sep. 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