Standard Lemma guide

Ethernet

name · noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈiθəɹˌnɛt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IY1 TH ER0 N EH2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

name

Meaning 1

A set of network cabling and network access (CSMA/CD) protocol standards for bus topology computer networks invented by Xerox but now controlled by the 802.3 subcommittee of the IEEE.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A computer network that complies with this set of standards.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Alternative letter-case form of Ethernet.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a type of network technology for local area networks; coaxial cable carries radio frequency signals between computers at a rate of 10 megabits per second

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: local area network, LAN

History

Etymology

Originally a trademark of Xerox, apparently composed of ether + net (“network”).

Across languages

Translations

26 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Cantonese: 以太網 /以太网 (ji5 taai3 mong5) — network cabling protocol standards
  • Chinese Cantonese: 乙太網 /乙太网 (jyut3 taai3 mong5) — network cabling protocol standards
  • Chinese Mandarin: 以太網 /以太网 (Yǐtàiwǎng) — network cabling protocol standards
  • Chinese Mandarin: 乙太網 /乙太网 (Yǐtàiwǎng) — network cabling protocol standards
  • Finnish: Ethernet — network cabling protocol standards
  • French: Ethernet — network cabling protocol standards
  • Japanese: イーサネット (īsanetto) — network cabling protocol standards
  • Korean: 이더넷 (ideonet) — network cabling protocol standards
  • Macedonian: е́тернет (éternet) — network cabling protocol standards
  • Russian: эзерне́т (ezɛrnɛ́t) — network cabling protocol standards
  • Russian: изерне́т (izɛrnɛ́t) — network cabling protocol standards
  • Russian: езерне́т (jezɛrnɛ́t) — network cabling protocol standards
  • Ukrainian: езерне́т (ezernét) — network cabling protocol standards
  • Chinese Cantonese: 以太網 /以太网 (ji5 taai3 mong5) — computer network which complies with standards
  • Chinese Cantonese: 乙太網 /乙太网 (jyut3 taai3 mong5) — computer network which complies with standards
  • Chinese Mandarin: 以太網 /以太网 (Yǐtàiwǎng) — computer network which complies with standards
  • Chinese Mandarin: 乙太網 /乙太网 (Yǐtàiwǎng) — computer network which complies with standards
  • Finnish: ethernet — computer network which complies with standards
  • French: Ethernet — computer network which complies with standards
  • Japanese: イーサネット (īsanetto) — computer network which complies with standards
  • Korean: 이더넷 (ideonet) — computer network which complies with standards
  • Macedonian: е́тернет (éternet) — computer network which complies with standards
  • Russian: эзерне́т (ezɛrnɛ́t) — computer network which complies with standards
  • Russian: изерне́т (izɛrnɛ́t) — computer network which complies with standards
  • Russian: езерне́т (jezɛrnɛ́t) — computer network which complies with standards
  • Ukrainian: езерне́т (ezernét) — computer network which complies with standards
Real reading context

Ethernet in complete knowledge articles