What does net mean?
Net is a remarkably versatile English word. As a noun, it can describe a mesh used for fishing or containing objects, a boundary such as a tennis net, a connected network of people or organizations, or the internet when used as “the net.” It can also mean the amount left after expenses, taxes, or other deductions, as in “a net profit.” As a verb, it means to catch or filter something with a net or to obtain a resulting amount after costs: a business may “net a profit.” The adjective “net” describes the amount remaining after deductions, while related forms such as “netting” refer to material made in a mesh. These meanings share a long history in English and reflect the word’s basic idea of an interconnected material that holds, connects, or retains things. In modern usage, “net” is especially familiar from the internet and from financial and economic language, where it conveys the result after deductions rather than the initial total.
A net is an open mesh of interwoven cords or threads, or a system of connected people, organizations, or computer systems. It can also refer to the internet or to the amount remaining after deductions.
"The information was shared through the researchers' international network."
To net means to catch or filter something with a net, to obtain or retain an amount after costs, or to clear a space of obstructions.
"The campaign netted more than £40,000 in donations."
Net means remaining after deductions, expenses, or losses; in some contexts it also means consisting of netting.
"The shop reported a net increase of 8% in customer numbers."
The standard plural is “nets.” The singular attributive form “net” is used before another noun, as in “net weight” and “net profit.”
"The fishermen repaired their nets before the storm arrived."
One small word can mean a fishing mesh, the internet, a sports barrier, and the amount left after every deduction.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of net
The English noun comes from Old English “nett,” meaning a net or mesh and related senses involving capture or connection. Old English “nett” belongs to a Germanic family that includes Dutch “net,” German “Netz,” and Old Norse “net.” Its deeper origin is commonly connected with an Indo-European root associated with binding or tying, an appropriate development for a material made by interweaving cords.
Related word forms
How net is actually used
In the sense of the internet, “the net” is common and usually informal in register, though “the web” is a frequent alternative. In financial contexts, “net” contrasts with “gross”; “net profit” means the amount remaining after expenses, while “gross profit” does not subtract them.