broadband

IPA/ˈbrɔːdbænd/
KK[brˈɔdbˌænd]IPA/ˈbrɔːdbænd/

broadband — noun

1. fast internet access that moves a lot of data quickly through one connection.

1.nounB2
Definition

fast internet access that moves a lot of data quickly through one connection.

Example

The family finally got broadband after years of slow dial-up service.

get broadband

Broadband lets Ravi join video classes without the picture freezing.

broadband lets [person] + verb

Common collocations
  • get broadband
  • install broadband
  • home broadband
  • rural broadband
  • pay for broadband
  • lose broadband
Synonyms
  • internet

    broader everyday word; it can mean the whole online system, not only a home or office connection

  • internet service

    clearer when you mean the service sold by a company

  • high-speed internet

    near-equivalent phrase that stresses speed more directly

  • fiber

    a more specific kind of broadband using fiber-optic cables

Antonyms
  • dial-up

    an older, much slower way of connecting to the internet

Grammar Patterns

get broadband

lose broadband

pay for broadband

Usage Note

Usually uncountable when naming the service in general: get broadband, lose broadband, pay for broadband. When speakers mean the setup or product more exactly, they often add another noun such as 'broadband connection', 'broadband service', or 'broadband package'.

Common Mistakes

We bought a broadband yesterday.
We got broadband yesterday.
this noun usually names the service, so it is normally uncountable.
The hotel has the broadband password at the front desk.
The hotel has the Wi-Fi password at the front desk.
broadband is the internet service; Wi-Fi is the wireless network guests join.

broadband — adjective

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Broadband' usually means a fast internet service coming into a home, school, or office. 'Internet connection' is broader and can mean any way of getting online, including mobile data or an older slow system. 'Wi-Fi' is different: it is the wireless signal inside a building, not the outside service itself, so you can have broadband without using Wi-Fi if you connect by cable. 'Fiber' is a narrower word for one kind of broadband that uses fiber-optic lines and is often faster and more stable. A house may have broadband from a provider, a router may share it through Wi-Fi, and a premium plan may be fiber rather than ordinary cable broadband.

broadband ↗internet connectionwi-fi ↗fiber ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • broadband connection
  • broadband service
  • broadband internet
  • home broadband
  • broadband provider

Etymology

English

Formed in English from 'broad' and 'band'. It first described telecommunications systems that used a wide range of frequencies. In everyday modern English, the word is now mainly used for fast, always-available internet service and for things connected with that service.