/ ˈɪntənet; NAmE -tərn-/ noun
(usually the Internet ) (also informal the Net ) [ sing. ] an international computer network connecting other networks and computers from companies, universities, etc. :
I looked it up on the Internet .
You can buy our goods over the Internet .
All the rooms have access to the Internet / Internet access .
an Internet service provider (= a company that provides you with an Internet connection and services such as email, etc.)
—see also intranet , WWW
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WORD ORIGIN
1970s (denoting a computer network connecting two or more smaller networks): from inter- reciprocal, mutual + network .