What does cyberspace mean?
Cyberspace is the term for the abstract environment created by interconnected computer networks — the shared virtual 'space' in which email, websites, online communities, and digital commerce exist. Coined by science-fiction writer William Gibson in the early 1980s, the word quickly escaped its fictional origins and became a standard way of describing life conducted through the internet. Unlike the internet itself, which refers to concrete hardware and infrastructure, cyberspace denotes the experiential realm that emerges from using those systems: the sense that online activity happens somewhere, even if nowhere physically locatable. It appears frequently in phrases like 'in cyberspace' and is common in discussions of law, security, and society, where questions of jurisdiction and identity in this non-physical domain remain unresolved. The word retains slight futuristic overtones from its cyberpunk roots but is now firmly established in mainstream usage worldwide.
nounThe notional environment in which communication over computer networks occurs; the interconnected digital realm of the internet and online communities, regarded as a virtual space.
- The virtual environment of computer networks and online communication, viewed as a distinct 'place' where social, commercial, and informational interactions occur.
- More loosely: the internet or online world generally, used as shorthand for digital life.
"Millions of people spend much of their working lives in cyberspace rather than in a physical office."
"Governments are still struggling to establish legal jurisdiction over crimes committed entirely within cyberspace."
"She built her entire business in cyberspace, never meeting a client face to face."
Rarely pluralized; the word is almost always treated as a single collective realm. Plural forms appear occasionally in academic writing referring to multiple distinct virtual environments.
"Scholars have mapped the distinct cultures emerging in different cyberspaces, from gaming worlds to professional forums."
William Gibson coined 'cyberspace' in his 1982 short story 'Burning Chrome' — before most people had ever touched a computer keyboard — and it became one of the rare science-fiction inventions to enter everyday language.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cyberspace
Cyberspace was coined by American-Canadian author William Gibson, first appearing in his 1982 short story 'Burning Chrome' and popularized by his 1984 novel 'Neuromancer'. The first element derives from 'cyber-', a prefix drawn from Greek 'kybernetes' ('steersman'), which reached English via Norbert Wiener's field of cybernetics in the late 1940s. Gibson reportedly chose the word partly because it sounded evocative yet meaningless, giving him freedom to define it. Related coinages sharing the same root include cyborg, cyberpunk, and cybernetics.
Related word forms
How cyberspace is actually used
Cyberspace is a noun used in formal, journalistic, and academic contexts as well as casual conversation. It often carries connotations of a frontier or an alternative realm distinct from the physical world. Though once associated mainly with science fiction and hacker culture, it is now standard vocabulary in law, policy, and security discussions.
Easily confused with cyberspace
The internet is the actual global network of computers and infrastructure, whereas cyberspace is the conceptual or experiential 'space' created by activity on that network.
Virtual reality is a simulated immersive environment experienced through special hardware, while cyberspace broadly refers to all online networked environments.