Meaning & use
hardwire
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Meanings
verbtransitivetechnical
to connect a device or system with permanent physical wires rather than a removable or wireless connection.
Grammar: Takes an object: hardwire the sensor. Often used in the passive: the alarm is hardwired.
Patterns
- hardwire something
- hardwire something to something
- be hardwired into something
The technician hardwired the new smoke detector to the building's power supply.
Instead of using Wi-Fi, they hardwired the computers to the network for a more stable connection.
The old intercom system was hardwired into the wall, so replacing it was difficult.
verbtransitivecomputing
to build a fixed instruction or function permanently into a computer system or device so it cannot easily be changed.
Grammar: Takes an object: hardwire the settings. Common in computing and passive structures: the value is hardwired.
Patterns
- hardwire something
- hardwire something into something
- be hardwired to do something
The developers hardwired the security check into the login process.
Some of the default settings are hardwired and cannot be changed by the user.
The chip is hardwired to perform only one calculation.
verbtransitivefigurative
to make a behavior, feeling, or ability a permanent part of a person or animal's nature.
Grammar: Takes an object, often used in the passive with into: the response is hardwired into us.
Patterns
- hardwire something into someone
- be hardwired to do something
- be hardwired into someone
Years of training had hardwired the reflex into the athletes.
Many scientists believe that some fears are hardwired into the human brain.
The habit of checking his phone was hardwired after months of daily use.
Word forms
| third person singular | hardwires |
|---|---|
| past tense | hardwired |
| past participle | hardwired |
| -ing form | hardwiring |
Common combinations
- hardwire a connection
- The engineers decided to hardwire the connection to avoid signal loss.
- hardwired into the system
- The safety rules are hardwired into the system and cannot be overridden.
- hardwired to do something
- Humans seem hardwired to seek social contact.
- hardwire the device
- You should hardwire the device if wireless reception is poor.
- permanently hardwired
- The backup power is permanently hardwired, so it starts automatically.
Synonyms and how they differ
- wire
- Wire is the general verb for connecting with electrical wires; hardwire emphasizes that the connection is permanent and not removable.
- program
- Program means to give instructions to a computer; hardwire suggests those instructions are fixed and cannot easily be changed.
- instill
- Instill is used for gradually teaching a feeling or idea to someone; hardwire is more figurative and suggests a fixed, almost automatic part of nature.
Opposites
Word family
- hardwired adjective
- Connected by permanent wires, or fixed and automatic in a system or person.
- hardwiring noun
- The act or result of making a permanent electrical or fixed connection.
Commonly confused: hardwire or hardware? hardwire or rewire?
hardwire vs hardware
Hardware is the physical equipment, especially computer parts; hardwire is the verb meaning to connect or fix permanently.
hardwire vs rewire
Rewire means to replace or change the electrical wires in a building or device; hardwire means to connect with permanent wires in the first place.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
Hardwire something to something is the usual pattern for a physical connection. The prepositions with, for, and by do not express the connection to a power source in this context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hardwire”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.