Meaning & use

firewall

noun·Academic

A system that monitors and controls network traffic to block unauthorized access to a computer or network.

See it in a sentence

The company's firewall blocked several attempts to access the internal server overnight.

She configured the office firewall to allow traffic only from trusted addresses.

A note on using this word

Originally a wall built to stop fires from spreading; the computing sense is now the dominant modern usage.

Words with a similar meaning

security barrier

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. noun

A wall built to prevent the spread of fire between parts of a building.

Building codes required a firewall between the garage and the living space.

Make it your own

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