wi-fi

/ˈwaɪ.faɪ/Philippines/ˈwaɪ.paɪ/

noun

Any of several standards for short-range wireless data transmission (IEEE 802.11).

“Mimi gave Fifi access to her Wi-Fi.”

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Meanings

wi-fi1

nounwi-fi (uncountable)
  1. alternativeuncountableAlternative spelling of Wi-Fi.

Wi-Fi2

nounWi-Fi (countable and uncountable, plural Wi-Fis)

plural Wi-Fis · alternative wi-fi · alternative wifi · alternative WiFi

  1. uncountablecomputingAny of several standards for short-range wireless data transmission (IEEE 802.11).
  2. uncountablecomputingWireless networking using one of these standards.

    Mimi gave Fifi access to her Wi-Fi.

    3 more examples

    He couldn't connect to the Wi-Fi in this area.

    This coffee shop has Wi-Fi for its customers.

    He asked me if I knew the Wi-Fi password.

    2020, Avni Doshi, Burnt Sugar, Hamish Hamilton, page 13
  3. informaluncountableThe capability to connect to a Wi-Fi network.

    The refrigerator cost 1000 more dollars just because it had Wi-Fi, and I'm thinking "this is ridiculous"!

  4. countableA Wi-Fi network.
verbWi-Fi (third-person singular simple present Wi-Fis, present participle Wi-Fi-ing, simple past and past participle Wi-Fied)

present singular third person Wi-Fis · participle present Wi-Fi-ing · participle past Wi-Fied · past Wi-Fied · alternative wi-fi · alternative wifi · alternative WiFi

  1. transitiveTo equip with Wi-Fi; to Wi-Fi enable.

    To Wi-Fi or Not to Wi-Fi?

    2004, Jon Edney, William A. Arbaugh, William Arbaugh, Real 802.11 Security: Wi-Fi Protected Access and 802.11i, page XVI
    3 more examples

    What type of electronics will be immune from being Wi-Fied?

    2003 September 15, Scott Bradner, “So why isn't it wireless?,”, in Network World, volume 20, number 37

    The biggest market may be Wi-Fi-ing people's homes.

    2003, Business Week - Issues 3827-3830

    There was no point in being off the grid if the vehicle you drove was Wi-Fied to it with every turn of the wheels.

    2017, Dean Koontz, The Silent Corner, page 10
  2. transitiveTo connect to the Internet using Wi-Fi.

    If Addison and Steele were alive and holding court at Starbucks, they'd be Wi-Fi-ing into a joint blog.

    2004, Vanity Fair - Issue 524, page 146
    2 more examples

    The hotel manager even claims he's seen Red Sox problem child Manny Ramirez Wi-Fi-ing in the lobby on his Palm.

    2003, Newsweek - Volume 142, Issues 18-25, page 76

    Perhaps someone sees you typing in confidential information while you are "Wi-Fi-ing" in a hotel lobby or a crowded airport waiting area.

    2004, Harold Davis, Absolute Beginner's Guide to Wi-Fi Wireless Networking, page 237

Origin

Coined in analogy to Hi-Fi as a trade name developed for the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (later Wi-Fi Alliance). Often analyzed as a shortened form of wireless fidelity (similar to how hi-fi is short for high fidelity); this is possibly due to the former slogan of the aforementioned Wi-Fi Alliance, The Standard for Wireless Fidelity.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic وَاي فَاي
  • وَاي فَاي (wāy fāy)computing: wireless data communication standard
Bulgarian безжи́чен и́нтернет
  • безжи́чен и́нтернет (bezžíčen ínternet)computing: wireless data communication standard
Catalan wifi
  • wificomputing: wireless data communication standard
Chinese Cantonese WiFi (waai¹ faai¹)
  • WiFi (waai¹ faai¹)computing: wireless data communication standard
Chinese Mandarin 無線熱點 /无线热点, 無線網絡 /无线网络
  • 無線熱點 /无线热点 (wúxiàn rèdiǎn)computing: wireless data communication standard
  • 無線網絡 /无线网络 (wúxiàn wǎngluò)computing: wireless data communication standard
  • 無線網路 /无线网路 (wúxiàn wǎnglù)computing: wireless data communication standard
  • WiFi (wāifài)computing: wireless data communication standard
  • 歪ㄈㄞˋ (wāifài)computing: wireless data communication standard
Czech bezdrátové připojení, Wi-Fi
  • bezdrátové připojenícomputing: wireless data communication standard
  • Wi-Ficomputing: wireless data communication standard
Dutch Wi-Fi, draadloos internet
  • Wi-Ficomputing: wireless data communication standard
  • draadloos internetcomputing: wireless data communication standard
  • wificomputing: wireless data communication standard
Esperanto sendrata Interreto, vifio
  • sendrata Interretocomputing: wireless data communication standard
  • vifiocomputing: wireless data communication standard
Finnish Wi-Fi, langaton verkko
  • Wi-Ficomputing: wireless data communication standard
  • langaton verkkocomputing: wireless data communication standard
French Wi-Fi, connexion sans fil
  • Wi-Ficomputing: wireless data communication standard
  • connexion sans filcomputing: wireless data communication standard
German WLAN, Wi-Fi
  • WLANcomputing: wireless data communication standard
  • Wi-Ficomputing: wireless data communication standard
  • kabellose Netzverbindungcomputing: wireless data communication standard
Hindi वाई-फ़ाई
  • वाई-फ़ाई (vāī-fāī)computing: wireless data communication standard
Hungarian wifi
  • wificomputing: wireless data communication standard
Italian wi-fi
  • wi-ficomputing: wireless data communication standard
Japanese Wi-Fi, ワイファイ
  • Wi-Ficomputing: wireless data communication standard
  • ワイファイ (waifai)computing: wireless data communication standard
Korean 와이파이
  • 와이파이 (waipai)computing: wireless data communication standard
Latin vi-fi, cōnexiō computātrī sine fīlīs
  • vi-ficomputing: wireless data communication standard
  • cōnexiō computātrī sine fīlīscomputing: wireless data communication standard
Persian وای-فای
  • وای-فای (vây-fây)computing: wireless data communication standard
Polish wi-fi
  • wi-ficomputing: wireless data communication standard
Portuguese Wi-Fi, conexão sem fio
  • Wi-Ficomputing: wireless data communication standard
  • conexão sem fiocomputing: wireless data communication standard
  • conexão sem fioscomputing: wireless data communication standard
Russian вай-фа́й, беспроводна́я сеть
  • вай-фа́й (vaj-fáj)computing: wireless data communication standard
  • беспроводна́я сеть (besprovodnája setʹ)computing: wireless data communication standard
Spanish wifi
  • wificomputing: wireless data communication standard
Swedish Wi-Fi
  • Wi-Ficomputing: wireless data communication standard
Tamil அருகலை
  • அருகலை (arukalai)computing: wireless data communication standard
Thai ไวไฟ, วายฟาย
  • ไวไฟ (wai-fai)computing: wireless data communication standard
  • วายฟายcomputing: wireless data communication standard
Turkish kablosuz ağ, kablosuz ağ bağlantısı
  • kablosuz ağcomputing: wireless data communication standard
  • kablosuz ağ bağlantısıcomputing: wireless data communication standard
Ukrainian вай-фай, вайфа́й
  • вай-фай (vaj-faj)computing: wireless data communication standard
  • вайфа́й (vajfáj)computing: wireless data communication standard
Urdu وائی فائی
  • وائی فائی (wā'ī fā'ī)computing: wireless data communication standard
Yiddish ווײַ־פֿײַ
  • ווײַ־פֿײַ (vay-fay)computing: wireless data communication standard

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with wi-fi

hi-fisci-fispy-fi
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

wi-fi. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wi-fi

MLA

“wi-fi.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wi-fi. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wi-fi,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wi-fi.

Source: wi-fi on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.