Online
Online describes what happens on the internet, or the state of a device, service or person connected to a network
What it means, how it is used and where it comes up, with its related concepts.
What it is and how it works
It literally means “on the line”. It applies both to connection status, for example a user shown as online in a messaging app, and to any activity carried out over the internet: online shopping, online learning, online advertising or online reputation.
As opposed to offline, it describes the channel, not the value of the activity: an effective strategy usually combines both. The spelling “on line” with a space is outdated; online is the standard form.
Also known as
on-line, connected
Topics