: connected to, served by, or available through a system and especially a computer or telecommunications system (such as the Internet)
an online database
also
: done while connected to such a system
online shopping
online games
online searching
online
adverb
Examples of on line in a Sentence
Adjective
The city libraries are all online.
He likes to engage in online chats.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Week Uk, TheWeek, 12 Apr. 2026
At the heart of its work are more than 600,000 members of the First Book Network, the largest online community of individual educators, professionals and volunteers dedicated to supporting children living in low-income communities across North America.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2026
Students who wanted to be on a campus could be, but many advanced courses with small enrollments and specialized faculty would be offered solely online.
—Jeffrey Selingo, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2026
The conversation happened between two users of the online platform on March 30 and March 31.
—Nick Lentz, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for on line
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
Casinos and online gambling hubs for Chinese-speakers, based in Cambodia and Myanmar, were one of their main enterprises until 2019, when Cambodia tightened its regulations; Covid lockdowns then emptied the casinos.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 12 Apr. 2026
At the heart of its work are more than 600,000 members of the First Book Network, the largest online community of individual educators, professionals and volunteers dedicated to supporting children living in low-income communities across North America.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2026
Students who wanted to be on a campus could be, but many advanced courses with small enrollments and specialized faculty would be offered solely online.
—Jeffrey Selingo, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2026
The conversation happened between two users of the online platform on March 30 and March 31.
—Nick Lentz, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for on line
Cite this Entry
“On line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20line. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
