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

That's where Surfshark VPN (virtual private network) comes in. —Chris McMullen, Space.com, 28 Nov. 2025

Accounts, for instance, can use a virtual private network, or VPN, to mask their true location. —Barbara Ortutay, Fortune, 25 Nov. 2025

While voting on the bill is unlikely, the provision banning software tools like virtual private networks, or VPNs, has caused concern over potential government overreach in tech spaces. —Leah Olajide, Freep.com, 5 Oct. 2025

This turnkey system includes both software and hardware that can be deployed at telecom data centers and operated by local governments, boosting their ability to filter internet traffic, identify virtual private networks and tailor censorship to specific users. —Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025

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)