internet
internet
Pronunciation
/ˈɪntərˌnɛt/
in - /ˈɪn/
ter - /tər/
net - /ˌnɛt/
Word Form Variations
Singular noun: internet
Plural noun: internets (less common, often used informally or to refer to multiple distinct networks)
Adjective: internet (e.g., "internet cafe," "internet service")
Verb: internet (e.g., "to internet something," "interneting") - extremely rare and informal. A more common verb phrase would be "to put on the internet" or "to connect to the internet."
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A global, publicly accessible network of interconnected computer networks that communicate using a standard set of protocols. It serves as a vast infrastructure enabling a wide range of services, including the World Wide Web, email, and file sharing.
Synonyms: the Net, the Web, cyberspace, information superhighway
Antonyms: offline world, real life (informal)
(Informal) The collective content, culture, and social interactions found online. It refers to the digital space where information, memes, and communication circulate.
Synonyms: digital sphere, online community, the Web
Antonyms: real world, physical space
Adjective
Relating to, or available on, the global network of computers.
Example: "an internet connection," "internet access"
Synonyms: online, digital, web-based
Antonyms: offline, physical, analog
Note: The verb form "internet" is so uncommon and informal that providing formal definitions, synonyms, or antonyms would be misleading. It is generally understood to mean the act of connecting something to the internet or placing something on it, but it is not a standard part of the lexicon.
Examples of Use
Books
"In the 1990s, the internet was this obscure thing used by computer scientists. Now it's the dominant communications platform on Earth." (John Naughton, A Brief History of the Future: The Origins of the Internet, 1999)
"From livestreams to fan fiction sites, there is no better place for [the narrator's] obsession to breed than on the internet." (Electric Literature, May 2024)
Newspapers and Online Publications
"We have a lot of work to do to make sure all Americans have the skills, technology, and access to the internet they need to thrive." (President Joe Biden, The Washington Post, May 2021)
"The internet has changed how we consume information, offering a constant stream of news and opinion, but also making it harder to distinguish fact from fiction." (The New York Times, November 2019)
"IAB Tech Lab warns: Don't let AI browsers 'strip-mine' the open internet." (The Current, July 2025)
Entertainment Mediums and Platforms
Film: In the movie The Social Network (2010), a character explains, "The internet's not a fad, it's a social revolution."
Television: The television show Silicon Valley (2014-2019) often depicted characters trying to "break the internet" with their new technology.
Music: The song "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles is often cited as a metaphor for how new technology, like the internet, can displace older media.
Gaming: "Online multiplayer games like Fortnite and Minecraft have created entire virtual worlds where players can interact with each other over the internet." (Internet Society, January 2025)
General Public Discourse
"I just need to find a good internet connection to download this movie."
"The new meme that's been making its rounds on the internet is hilarious."
"I work from home, so a reliable internet service provider is absolutely essential."
10 Famous Quotes Using Internet
"The internet is the first thing that humanity has built that humanity doesn't understand, the largest experiment in anarchy that we have ever had." - Eric Schmidt (as cited at the Internet World Trade Show, 1999)
"If your business is not on the internet, then your business will be out of business." - Bill Gates (unverified, widely attributed)
"There was a time when people felt the internet was another world, but now people realize it's a tool that we use in this world." - Tim Berners-Lee (as cited by BrainyQuote)
"The internet is like a great public library, and that library is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week." - Mark Zuckerberg (unverified, widely attributed)
"I think the internet is a wonderful thing, but it’s still a relatively new invention." - Vladimir Putin (unverified, widely attributed)
"In terms of the internet, it's like humanity acquiring a collective nervous system." - Elon Musk (as cited by Goodreads)
"The problem with the internet startup craze isn't that too many people are starting companies; it's that too many people aren't sticking with it." - Steve Jobs (as cited by Goodreads)
"We must offer an alternative vision... That means contesting the space that terrorists occupy, including the internet and social media." - Barack Obama (as cited by whitehouse.gov, 2014)
"A few years ago, users of internet services began to realize that when an online service is free, you're not the customer. You're the product." - Tim Cook (in an open letter to Apple customers, 2014)
"If television's a babysitter, the internet is a drunk librarian who won't shut up." - Dorothy Gambrell (as cited in Cat and Girl Volume I)
Etymology
The word internet is a combination of two English words: "inter" and "net."
"Inter" is a prefix of Latin origin that means "between" or "among." We see it in other words like "international" (between nations) and "interstate" (between states).
"Net" is a shortened form of "network," which refers to a system of interconnected things, like a fishing net with its interwoven threads.
So, the word literally means "between networks."
The word "internet" first appeared in technical documents and research papers in the early 1970s. At that time, it was used to describe the concept of a "network of networks" or "internetworking," which was a way to connect different computer networks together.
One of the earliest known uses was in a 1974 paper by Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn, titled "A Protocol for Packet Network Intercommunication," where they laid out the technical specifications for how different networks could communicate with each other. This paper was fundamental to the development of what we now know as the internet. The word was not a common part of everyday language until the late 1980s and early 1990s, when the World Wide Web was created and began to make the internet accessible to the general public.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Internet
The Internet of Things (IoT): A network of physical objects ("things") embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies to connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over the internet.
Internet troll: A person who posts inflammatory, rude, or offensive messages online to provoke a reaction from others.
To break the internet: To cause a sensation so widespread on the internet that it becomes a major global talking point, sometimes figuratively overwhelming online systems with traffic.
Internet meme: An idea, style, or piece of behavior that spreads from person to person via the internet, often with a humorous purpose.
To go viral: (A synonym-based idiom) To become extremely popular very quickly through the internet.
Internet famous: A person who has achieved a high level of popularity or notoriety on the internet, though not necessarily in the real world.
Internet slang: The informal language, acronyms, and shorthand used in online communication.
The wild west of the internet: A phrase used to describe the early days of the internet, before it had much regulation or social norms.
Internet service provider (ISP): The company that provides you with access to the internet.
To live on the internet: (A synonym-based phrase) To spend an excessive amount of time online, often to the detriment of real-world activities.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of internet from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
