local area network

noun

: a network of personal computers in a small area (such as an office) for sharing resources (such as a printer) or exchanging data

called also LAN

Examples of local area network in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web For example, it is currently engaged in trying to push its own standards for software encryption and wireless local area networks as global International Organization for Standardization standards. Elizabeth Economy, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2010 Because someone could unsuspectingly infect a machine this way, letting the worm proliferate over local area networks, experts feared that the malware had perhaps gone wild across the world. IEEE Spectrum, 26 Feb. 2013 Additionally, place administrative systems in separate virtual local area networks (VLANs) and block all unauthorized traffic from network devices destined for non-administrative VLANs. Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 27 Sep. 2023 Create VLANs Creating a virtual local area network is the best practice for designing a secure and efficient network infrastructure. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023 What is WiFi 5? WiFi 5 is the fifth generation of the WiFi wireless local area network standard. Harry Guinness, Popular Science, 26 July 2023 In order to access this information on the go, the app’s developers also created a portable backpack kit that acts as a local area network without connections to the broader Internet. Rina Diane Caballar, Scientific American, 7 June 2023 Local Network Game Transfers, now available on the beta Steam client, allow a player to transfer an existing Steam game installation from one PC to another over a local area network (LAN). PCMAG, 17 Feb. 2023 All of these describe private cellular, which effectively takes cellular technology and repurposes it for use on your enterprise local area network (LAN). Jennifer Minella, Forbes, 10 Nov. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'local area network.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1969, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of local area network was in 1969

Dictionary Entries Near local area network

Cite this Entry

“Local area network.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/local%20area%20network. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

local area network

noun
: a computer network that spans a small area (as an office building)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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