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

Emilia Bunea’s interviews with sixteen Fortune 500 and S&P 500 CEOs, published in Frontiers in Psychology, captured this always-on feeling in their own words. — Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

But believe it or not, one of the biggest barriers that our state faces, in this great age of technology and always-on connection, is that there is little collaboration between the folks fighting traffickers. — Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026

Disney Plus has already launched vertical video feeds, along with always-on channels, something Netflix is also rumored to be exploring. — Emma Roth, The Verge, 10 July 2026

That has become a growing source of frustration for investors as developments in the Iran conflict occur before trading resumes, driving recent interest in products that lean on crypto’s always-on infrastructure to facilitate 24/7 oil trading. — Mia Gindis, Fortune, 9 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