Wi-Fi

American

[wahy-fahy] / ˈwaɪˌfaɪ /

Computers, Trademark.

a brand name certifying that a device or other product is compatible with a set of broadband wireless networking standards.

Wi-Fi British

/ ˈwaɪˌfaɪ /

noun

computing a system of accessing the internet from remote machines such as laptop computers that have wireless connections

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Wi-Fi

First recorded in 1995–2000; wi(reless)-fi(delity), patterned after hi-fi

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

By monitoring disturbances in the Wi-Fi networking signal, the system can notify you when someone has entered or exited the home at certain times of day or night, for example.

From The Wall Street Journal

Selly Tan, an influencer from California, said people are “craving something real again,” and vowed to print her photos, read more books and magazines and take up hobbies that don’t need Wi-Fi.

From Los Angeles Times

This may be obvious but it bears repeating: Make sure you have a strong Wi-Fi connection, close tabs, turn notifications off and silence phones and other distractions before joining an AI interview.

From The Wall Street Journal

Protecting Yourself on Public Wi-Fi: Coffee shops, airports, hotels and other public hotspots are notoriously insecure.

From Salon

“I’m asking if you guys want to get dinner. Together. Away from here. In a building with Wi-Fi, probably.”

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023