on line

1 of 2

phrase

: in or into operation

bringing the new factory on line

online

2 of 2

adjective

on·​line ˈȯn-ˈlīn  ˈän-ˈlīn 

: 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

Adjective

Keen then enrolled in online classes and soon caught the acting bug. — Giovana Gelhoren, InStyle, 15 Aug. 2026

Hernández sells bunches of medicinal herbs — his most popular online item — and ships them all over the country. — Delia Sauer, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2026

David Sasaki, director of the Boys & Men Online program at the American Institute for Boys and Men, told Fortune that addressing algorithmic systems could be beneficial in improving online safety for more than just men. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026

E-commerce professionals shared their top tips for getting the most bang for your buck out of TikTok Shop, one of the newest and hottest online sales platforms for small brands. — John Schroyer, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1950, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing on line

• massively multiplayer online game

Rhymes for on line

• affine
• airline
• align
• aline
• assign
• baseline
• beamline
• benign
• bloodline
• bovine
• brucine
• byline

Kids Definition

online

adjective

ˈȯn-ˈlīn, 

ˈän-

: relating to or connected to a computer or telecommunications system (as the Internet)

an online database

online adverb