Revised 2003 More entries for "network"
networknoun & adjective
Factsheet
What does the word network mean?
There are 17 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word network, two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
network has developed meanings and uses in subjects including
How common is the word network?
About 100occurrences per million words in modern written English
| 1750 | 0.14 |
| 1760 | 0.22 |
| 1770 | 0.22 |
| 1780 | 0.95 |
| 1790 | 0.22 |
| 1800 | 0.41 |
| 1810 | 0.33 |
| 1820 | 0.35 |
| 1830 | 0.59 |
| 1840 | 1.4 |
| 1850 | 2.8 |
| 1860 | 3.4 |
| 1870 | 4.7 |
| 1880 | 5.5 |
| 1890 | 6.2 |
| 1900 | 5.9 |
| 1910 | 6.2 |
| 1920 | 6.5 |
| 1930 | 11 |
| 1940 | 16 |
| 1950 | 23 |
| 1960 | 31 |
| 1970 | 45 |
| 1980 | 71 |
| 1990 | 120 |
| 2000 | 140 |
| 2010 | 140 |
How is the word network pronounced?
British English
/ˈnɛtwəːk/
NET-wurck
U.S. English
/ˈnɛtˌwərk/
NET-wurck
Where does the word network come from?
Earliest known use
mid 1500s
The earliest known use of the word network is in the mid 1500s.
OED's earliest evidence for network is from 1530, in the New Testament.
Nearby entries
- netty, n.1825–
- netty, adj.¹1573
- netty, adj.²1587–
- Neturei Karta, n.1949–
- net user, n.1884–
- net vault, n.1962–
- net-veined, adj.1860–
- net-weight, n.1865
- net weight, n.1760–
- netwise, adv.1577–
- network, n. & adj.1530–
- network, v.1845–
- networkable, adj.1969–
- network analyser, n.1930–
- network analysis, n.1930–
- network computer, n.1984–
- network English, n.1974–
- networker, n.1976–
- net-worker, n.1639–58
- network former, n.1947–
- network-forming, adj.1950–
Meaning & use
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Etymology
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for network, n. & adj.
network, n. & adj. was revised in September 2003
network, n. & adj. was last modified in September 2023
oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:
- further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into network, n. & adj. in September 2023.
Earlier versions of network, n. & adj. were published in:
OED First Edition (1906)
OED Second Edition (1989)
Cite
Chicago
Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “”, . <>
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MLA9
“”. Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, , <>
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