Meaning & use
internet
Last updated
Meanings
nounsingularcomputing
The worldwide system of linked computer networks that lets people send messages, share files and use websites.
Grammar: Usually used with the: on the internet. Modern style guides use a lowercase i.
Patterns
- on the internet
- access the internet
I looked up the train times on the internet.
The village finally got access to the internet last year.
Not everyone in the world can reach the internet.
nounsingularinformal
The online world as a place where people share ideas, jokes and information.
Grammar: Used informally and often with the: the internet loved the video.
Patterns
- the internet thinks ...
The internet went wild over the photo.
Somewhere on the internet there is a video of everything.
She gets half her news from the internet.
Common combinations
- surf the internet
- He likes to surf the internet before bed.
- internet connection
- The hotel has a fast internet connection.
- internet access
- Internet access is free at the library.
- internet provider
- We changed our internet provider to save money.
- on the internet
- She found the recipe on the internet.
- internet cafe
- They checked their email at an internet cafe.
Synonyms and how they differ
- the web
- The web is the system of pages you open in a browser and is only one part of the internet, though people often use the words as if they were the same.
- the net
- The net is an informal short form of internet and sounds more casual.
- cyberspace
- Cyberspace is a dated, more imaginative word for the online world and is used mostly in writing about technology.
- online
- Online is an adjective or adverb meaning connected to the internet, not a noun for the network itself.
Opposites
Word family
- internet-based adjective
- working through the internet
- intranet noun
- a private network inside one organization
- online adjective
- connected to the internet
Commonly confused: internet or intranet? internet or the web?
internet vs intranet
An intranet is a private network used inside one organization, while the internet is a public global network.
internet vs the web
The web is the collection of websites reached through the internet, but the internet also carries email and other services.
Practice
Which statement about the internet is most accurate?
Choose one answer.
The internet is the worldwide network. The web is one service that runs on it, a private company network is an intranet, and the internet is not a single program.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “internet”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.