hardwired

adjective

hard·​wired ˈhärd-ˌwī(-ə)rd How to pronounce hardwired (audio)
1
: implemented in the form of permanent electronic circuits
also : connected or incorporated by or as if by permanent electrical connections
a hardwired phone
concepts of attractiveness may be universal and hardwired into the human brain Jane E. Brody
2
: genetically or innately determined : inborn
creature whose every action is a reflexive, hardwired responseNatalie Angier
also : genetically or innately predisposed
a human being who is hardwired to be sociable Forbes

Examples of hardwired in a Sentence

a cat with a hardwired compulsion to knock expensive knickknacks off of shelves
Recent Examples on the Web Although the Carmack Iron Sconce requires hardwired installation, each fixture comes with an LED candelabra light bulb. Maria Conti, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Aug. 2023 The instinct to complain about the spectacle of the event outpacing its utility is hardwired. Michael Casagrande | McAsagrande@al.com, al, 17 July 2023 For anyone who doesn't have electrical experience, a professional electrician would need to be brought in to install any hardwired outdoor floodlights. Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 July 2023 The hardwired connection that supplies video also supplies power to the ROV, giving it a greater underwater endurance capability than a non-tethered drone that solely relies on battery power. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 28 June 2023 The Lexus is no less eager on the move, motoring from 30 to 50 mph in 2.7 seconds and from 50 to 70 mph in 3.7 seconds, its prescient gearbox seemingly hardwired to the accelerator pedal's position. Greg S. Fink, Car and Driver, 1 June 2023 This has been a long-standing explanation among liberal thinkers: that Americans’ hardwired belief in meritocracy drives them to conflate material success with deservingness. Matthew Desmond, The New York Review of Books, 21 Mar. 2023 One of his earliest memories is of helping his father build a system of sensors and hardwired circuits for automating the flow of grain through a series of bins that dry and store the harvest. Ariel Bleicher, IEEE Spectrum, 30 May 2013 Humans are hardwired to help one another. Hazlitt, 13 Dec. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hardwired.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hardwired was in 1965

Dictionary Entries Near hardwired

Cite this Entry

“Hardwired.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hardwired. Accessed 24 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

hardwired

adjective
hard·​wired -ˌwī(ə)rd How to pronounce hardwired (audio)
: having or done using or as if using permanent electronic circuits or connections
a hardwired phone
a mother hardwired to defend her child

More from Merriam-Webster on hardwired

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!