virtual private network

noun

plural virtual private networks

: a private computer network that functions over a public network (such as the Internet) and usually utilizes data encryption to provide secure access to something (such as an internal business server or private network)

He persuaded its users to communicate through a virtual private network, or VPN, a secure channel that sends encrypted messages between computers …

—James Verini

Tony, like all savvy Internet thieves, uses a virtual private network that masks his computer's true Internet Protocol address every time he logs on.

—Joe Light

called also VPN

Examples of virtual private network in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Users have been using virtual private networks, mirror links, and redirecting URLs to get around restrictions. —Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 19 Feb. 2026

Some major pornography sites have blocked British users rather than carry out age checks, but those blocks can be circumvented by using readily available virtual private networks, which the government is considering restricting for minors. —Reuters, NBC news, 16 Feb. 2026

Other possible measures include curbing features such as infinite scrolling, tightening safeguards around the sharing of nude images, and examining restrictions on children’s access to AI chatbots and virtual private networks. —Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026

Its global rollout will also prevent users from getting around the restrictions by accessing the site from another region using a virtual private network (VPN). —Emma Roth, The Verge, 10 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1983, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for virtual private network

• artwork
• beadwork
• berserk
• breastwork
• brickwork
• brushwork
• casework
• classwork
• clockwork
• coursework
• ductwork
• earthwork

Kids Definition

virtual private network

noun

: a private computer network that functions over a public network (as the Internet) and usually uses data encryption to provide secure access to something (as an internal business server)