Networking
/ˈnɛtwɜːrkɪŋ/
Definitions
2 meaningsThe act of meeting and interacting with people, especially to exchange information and make connections.
/ˈnɛtwɜːrkɪŋ/
The process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop contacts, especially to further one's career.
He spends a lot of time networking to expand his professional contacts.
💡 Simply: Networking is like making friends for your career! It's about chatting with people at events, online, or anywhere to learn from them and maybe even find a job or get help with something. It's about building your support team.
👶 For kids: Networking is like making friends with grown-ups so you can learn cool things and maybe get a job someday!
More Examples
Networking is an essential skill for anyone in business.
The conference provided excellent opportunities for networking with industry professionals.
How It's Used
"Networking events are crucial for building professional connections."
"The IT team handles the company's network and all related networking."
The design, setup, and maintenance of communication networks, particularly computer networks.
/ˈnɛtwɜːrkɪŋ/
The interconnection of computer devices for exchanging information.
The IT department specializes in networking solutions.
💡 Simply: Imagine all the computers in a school or office talking to each other. Networking is what makes them able to share things like files and printers. It is the setup and maintenance of this connection.
👶 For kids: Networking is like making your toys talk to each other so they can share toys and play together!
More Examples
Efficient networking is critical for reliable internet access.
Understanding networking principles is key in the field of computer science.
How It's Used
"The company relies on robust networking for its daily operations."
"Networking protocols ensure that data packets are transmitted correctly."
Idioms & expressions
Networking event
A social gathering designed to facilitate the meeting and connection of people, especially for professional or career-related purposes.
"She attended the networking event hoping to find new job opportunities."
Network administrator
A person responsible for maintaining and operating a computer network, ensuring its proper functioning, and managing user access.
"The network administrator resolved the issue with the server."
From 'network' + '-ing', reflecting the activity of building and maintaining connections, especially in professional contexts. 'Network' comes from the combination of 'net' and 'work' denoting a system of interconnected lines or structures. The addition of '-ing' turns it into a verbal noun/gerund.
The term gained significant popularity with the rise of personal computers and the internet in the late 20th century, originally referring to computer networks and later expanding to encompass social and professional contexts.
Memory tip
Think of 'net' for connections and 'working' to build them. Networking is about making your net of contacts work for you.
Practice
Word Origin
Root: net, work