Online
/ˈɒn.laɪn/noun
Connected to or available through the internet or a computer network.
Did you know?The word was first used in computing for systems that were literally under direct control and connected to a main machine, long before it became the language of social media and digital identity.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
on
“in, on, into, onto”
Old English
OE
līne
“line, cord, thread”
19th Century
English
on-line
“connected by wire or directly under control of a central system”
20th Century
English
online
“operating while connected to a computer network or the internet”
Modern English
English
online
“connected to the internet or available through it”