net·work
ˈnet-ˌwərk 
1
: a fabric or structure of cords or wires that cross at regular intervals and are knotted or secured at the crossings
… ribbons, lace and embroidery wrought together in a most curious piece of network …—
Joseph Addison
Joseph Addison2
: a system of lines or channels resembling a network
a telephone network
a network of blood vessels
3
a
: an interconnected or interrelated chain, group, or system
a network of hotels
b
: a system of computers and peripherals that are able to communicate with each other
4
a
: a group of radio or television stations linked by wire or radio relay
b
: a radio or television company that produces programs for broadcast over such a network
sold the show to a big network
5
: a usually informally interconnected group or association of persons (such as friends or professional colleagues)
a support network available to single mothers
a network of bird watchers
networked; networking; networks
1
: to cover with or as if with a network
a continent … so networked with navigable rivers and canals—Lamp
Lamp2
3
: to join (things, such as computers) in a network
: to engage in networking
Examples of network in a Sentence
Noun
He hooked up his computer to the network.
The show is getting good ratings for the network.
Verb
The computers are networked to one main server.
She spent the day networking with other executives.
Recent Examples on the Web
Don Tarinelli, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
Once the founder and leader of a local group of Black investors, now ousted from her community, Miss Hortense will dig into her buried past to uncover the murder of an unidentified man found at the home of one of the network’s members.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 1 July 2025
Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
The group primarily connects through the social networking app Telegram.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for network
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Noun
Maintaining brand integrity across a growing and geographically dispersed network is another potential challenge of franchising.
—Don Tarinelli, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
Once the founder and leader of a local group of Black investors, now ousted from her community, Miss Hortense will dig into her buried past to uncover the murder of an unidentified man found at the home of one of the network’s members.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 1 July 2025
Verb
The Equifax Data Breach In 2017, hackers exploited vulnerabilities in networking software to steal sensitive data from millions of customers in the U.S. and around the world.
—Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
The group primarily connects through the social networking app Telegram.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for network
Cite this Entry
“Network.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/network. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
network
1 of 2 noun
net·work
ˈnet-ˌwərk
1
: a fabric or structure of cords or wires that cross with even spacings
2
: a system of lines or channels resembling a network
3
: a group or system of related or connected parts
especially
: a group of connected radio or television stations
4
: a system of computers connected by communications lines
network
2 of 2 verb1
: to cover with or join into a network
2
: to join together in a network
networked the classroom's computers
Medical Definition
network
noun
net·work
ˈnet-ˌwərk
1
: a fabric or structure of cords or wires that cross at regular intervals and are knotted or secured at the crossings
2
: a system of lines or channels resembling a network
a network of veins
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