Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Connected to a central computer or to a computer network.
  • adjective Accessible via a computer or computer network.
  • adjective Conducted or facilitated by means of a computer network.
  • adjective In production or operation, often as part of a supply chain.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective (Computers) connected by a communications line to a computer. Opposite of off-line.
  • adjective colloq. being in progress now; ongoing.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Describes a system which is connected (generally electrically) to a larger network.
  • adjective Available over the Internet.
  • adjective connected to the Internet
  • adjective Available on a computer system, even if not networked.
  • adjective Describes a system that is active, particularly building facilities (such as power) or a factory or power plant.
  • adverb Describes actions performed over the Internet.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective being in progress now
  • adjective connected to a computer network or accessible by computer
  • adjective on a regular route of a railroad or bus or airline system
  • adjective on a regular route of a railroad or bus or airline system
  • adjective connected to a computer network or accessible by computer
  • adjective being in progress now

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

on +‎ line

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Examples

  • It's not available online (though it can be ordered online_, and it's in Spanish, but it warrants mention.

    GreenCine Daily 2009

  • Pickett says that some ten percent of video views are now seen on mobile devices -- and the move to connected TV's is making the term "online video" less germane as videos appear on multiple platforms.

    Andy Plesser: Exclusive: YouTube's Tom Pickett and Lance Podell on YT's Fast Expanding Creator Network Andy Plesser 2011

  • For purposes of this argument, I'm using the term "online economy" fairly broadly, to cover all types of computing that invokes services from someone else' servers, including cloud computing, e-commerce, Internet computing, and social networking.

    Forbes.com: News Joe McKendrick 2011

  • Join the Lead Without a Title online movement www.robinsharma.com

    The Leader Who Had No Title Robin Sharma 2010

  • Keeping abreast of developments online is key in online marketing, news, shifts in online culture and understanding how to read basic web analytics.

    Six reasons NOT to try to be an online retailer 2007

  • LUI: Steinunn is succeeding by promoting her label online and showing her clothes in Paris, Copenhagen, and New York, but she is staying true to her understated Nordic style.

    CNN Transcript Jun 13, 2009 2009

  • Advertisers want to occupy the places people are, and with volume comes the problem of free-riding, which online translates as low CPMs.

    Why Traditional Advertising Formats Fail On The Web - Publishing 2.0 2008

  • Letters from current members have more sway, so if you know people who are members you could tell them about this -- they can request the title online by clicking to CONTACT US link at the bottom of the home page and going to title request.

    Action Alert: Ask Netflix to carry "Invisible Ballots" DVD 2006

  • While I'm quite sure I used the term online before that post, I don't care that much about priority to bother to search it out.

    Hullabaloo 2006

  • Claiming a name online today is growing harder and harder as available URL's keep disappearing.

    Forbes.com: News Deborah Sweeney 2011

Comments

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  • online - referring to computers was used in Doug Englebert's "Mother of all Demos" 48 seconds in to clip17 "... you programmers are the ones who found use for working online as we're building up.. ."

    http://sloan.stanford.edu/MouseSite/1968Demo.html Dec 9, 1968

    July 12, 2013