Meaning & use
hardwired
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivenot comparablecomputingtechnical
In computing, built into a device or system so that it cannot be changed by software.
Grammar: Not comparable: you cannot say 'more hardwired'. It describes a permanent state.
Patterns
- hardwired into something
- hardwired to do something
The safety system is hardwired into the machine and cannot be overridden.
These old printers are hardwired to the network, so you can't move them easily.
The chip has hardwired instructions for basic operations.
adjectivenot comparablefigurative
Having a natural, instinctive behavior or ability that is present from birth and difficult to change.
Grammar: Often used with 'to': hardwired to do something. Also 'hardwired into' for a trait that seems built into a person or animal.
Patterns
- hardwired to do something
- hardwired into someone
- genetically hardwired
Humans seem hardwired to seek social contact.
Some fears may be hardwired into our brains as a survival mechanism.
She believes that a sense of fairness is hardwired in all of us.
Common combinations
- hardwired into
- The behavior seems hardwired into the species.
- hardwired to
- We are hardwired to respond to danger quickly.
- hardwired connection
- A hardwired connection is more reliable than Wi-Fi.
Synonyms and how they differ
- innate
- Innate means existing from birth, often in a more formal or scientific way; hardwired is more figurative and suggests something fixed and unchangeable.
- built-in
- Built-in means included as part of a structure or system; hardwired often implies a permanent physical or biological connection.
Opposites
Word family
- hardwire verb
- To connect something with permanent wires or to make a feature fixed.
- hardwiring noun
- The permanent electrical connections in a device or the fixed neural connections in a brain.
Commonly confused: hardwired or hard-wearing?
hardwired vs hard-wearing
Hard-wearing means durable and long-lasting, especially of clothes or materials. Hardwired is about fixed connections or instincts.
Practice
The alarm system is _____ into the building's electrical circuit, so it works even during a power cut.
Choose one answer.
Hardwired means permanently connected, which fits the context of an alarm that works without software or batteries. Hardworking describes a person, hardwearing describes durable materials, and hardened means made tough.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hardwired”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.