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

In other words, once these technologies reach volume production, the cost of reliable always-on power could fall low enough to ease the pressure that is already showing up on your monthly bill. —Iulia Lupse, Sun Sentinel, 24 May 2026

Beyond fridges, the company highlights Wi-Fi routers, CPAP machines, medical devices, and aquariums as ideal always-on loads. —New Atlas, 19 May 2026

What Off-Grid Travel Actually Means Off-grid travel is a deliberate move away from screens, resort culture and always-on connectivity. —Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 18 May 2026

Human existence in an always-on 21st-century digital environment means that people are constantly exposed to various marketing efforts and pieces of advertising in a variety of forms. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 May 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