wireless

play

adjective wire·less \ ˈwī(-ə)r-ləs \

Definition of wireless

1 :having no wire or wires; specifically :operating by means of transmitted electromagnetic waves

a wireless remote

2 a :of or relating to radiotelephony, radiotelegraph, or radio

a wireless phone

b :of or relating to data communications using radio waves

wireless Internet access

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wirelessly

adverb

See wireless defined for English-language learners

See wireless defined for kids

Examples of wireless in a Sentence

The video game console comes with wireless controllers.
The café offers free wireless Internet access.

Recent Examples of wireless from the Web

At the same time, mirrors in the bathrooms are now inset with hidden televisions, and the wireless internet connection is powerful and free, still unusual in 21st-century Europe.

— Condé Nast Traveler, "Ritz Paris," 25 Aug. 2017
City officials said this problem stemmed from issues with wireless carriers.

— sharon coolidge, Cincinnati.com, "In Cincinnati, if you call 911 will somebody answer?," 6 Aug. 2017
San Diego is strong in life sciences, genomics and wireless technology.

— mike freeman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Alliance that touts SoCal as alternative to Silicon Valley teams with Google Ventures founder," 13 July 2017
The National Safety Council is also pushing innovations in car seat design that would use wireless technology to remind the driver when a child is in the rear seat after the vehicle has been turned off.

— the washington post, AL.com, "Tennessee baby is 19th child to die in a hot car in America this year," 12 July 2017
This one is bound for an orbital slot 22,300 miles above the Atlantic Ocean to provide service primarily to wireless customers across Latin America, the Caribbean and western Africa.

— william harwood, CBS News, "Last-second glitch grounds SpaceX rocket launch," 3 July 2017
Verizon, on the heels of creating its new Oath advertising and content unit to house Yahoo and AOL, is looking to license data from wireless rivals including T-Mobile, Sprint, Vodafone and Telefónica, according to Business Insider.

— lara o’reilly, WSJ, "CMO Today: WPP Suffers Hack; Brunch Beer; Verizon Pursues Carrier Data Tie-Ups," 28 June 2017
Offering wireless phone service may be one way for Comcast to stem the tide.

— robert channick, chicagotribune.com, "Comcast launching mobile phone kiosks within 5 Chicago-area Xfinity stores," 27 June 2017
The principal settlement agreement was filed with the PSC on April 19, with a second agreement – dealing solely with issues regarding the placement of cable television and telecommunication lines and wireless facilities on KU or LG&E utility poles –

— sheldon s. shafer, The Courier-Journal, "Your monthly LG&E bill will go up, but not as high as originally requested," 22 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wireless.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of wireless

1894

wireless

noun

Definition of wireless

1 :telecommunication (such as wireless telegraphy or radiotelephony) involving signals transmitted by radio waves rather than over wires; also :the technology used in radio telecommunication

2 chiefly British :radio

See wireless defined for English-language learners

Examples of wireless in a Sentence

She listened to the wireless every Monday night.

Recent Examples of wireless from the Web

Leaving aside the punishing economics of digital media, the $4.5 billion question is how Verizon, which controls so many phones, can use the array of media now in its possession to boost the margins of a competitive wireless business.

— joe pompeo, The Hive, "Can Oath, the Arranged Media Marriage of Yahoo and AOL, Avoid a Rough Divorce?," 16 Aug. 2017
Leaving aside the punishing economics of digital media, the $4.5 billion question is how Verizon, which controls so many phones, can use the array of media now in its possession to boost the margins of a competitive wireless business.

— joe pompeo, vanityfair.com, "Can Oath, the Arranged Media Marriage of Yahoo and AOL, Avoid a Rough Divorce?," 16 Aug. 2017
Son has also been considering merging Sprint with T-Mobile US Inc., the third-biggest U.S. wireless carrier.

— scott moritz and gerry smith, chicagotribune.com, "SoftBank said to plan a direct offer for Charter," 31 July 2017
Equinox is set up to accommodate today’s electronic devices, with the wireless charging feature in the front center console area that kept my Samsung Galaxy S8 all charged up.

— g. chambers williams iii, star-telegram, "Next-generation Chevy Equinox crossover now on sale, with prices starting at $23,580," 14 July 2017
A national trucking company substitutes for a large railroad, the big wireless carrier for the incumbent landline provider; perhaps someday, Tesla and its solar-and-storage installations will replace your local utility and its grid.

— travis kavulla, National Review, "Hitting the Refresh Button on Net Neutrality," 13 July 2017
That’s why the American Minitel failed—and why people should be concerned about ISPs being able to restrict the traffic on broadband and wireless networks.

— julien mailland, The Atlantic, "Minitel, the Open Network Before the Internet," 16 June 2017
These new wireless technologies, some of which are targeted for next generation 5G mobile networks, tap abundant, very high frequency airwaves to unleash gigabit-class speeds.

— mike freeman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "This company aims to boost wireless internet speeds for businesses," 16 June 2017
Maybe Amazon or another tech company could play spoiler in wireless or broadband service, too.

— shira ovide, The Seattle Times, "Lines between cable, phone and internet get more blurry: Is that a good thing?," 4 June 2017

First Known Use of wireless

1903

WIRELESS Defined for English Language Learners

wireless

play

adjective

Definition of wireless for English Language Learners

: not using wires to send and receive electronic signals : sending and receiving electronic signals by using radio waves
: of or relating to the use of radio waves to send and receive electronic signals