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

As online privacy concerns grow, the need for reliable virtual private networks (VPNs) has become critical for businesses and everyday users. —Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 5 May 2025

They were all connected to the same virtual private network (VPN) used in one or more of the cyber incidents, according to the complaint. —Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025

Allow users direct access to the internet and software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications, with no security controls; or route traffic to a remote data center where their security controls are located using a virtual private network (VPN). —Zeus Kerravala, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025

Within less than two years, Chai has garnered more than 850,000 subscribers to her channel, despite YouTube being blocked in China, accessible only by using a virtual private network (VPN). —Wenxin Fan, NPR, 11 Apr. 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)