always-on

adjective

al·​ways-on ˈȯl-wēz-ˈȯn 

-ˈän,

-wəz-,

-(ˌ)wāz-,

 also  ˈȯ-

: always active, operating, or powered

an always-on Internet connection

When a power shortage occurs and electricity costs rise, the always-on devices scattered throughout … your facility consume increasingly expensive power.

—Gilbert Held

Examples of always-on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And in today’s fast-moving, always-on business milieu, the difference between engagement and exhaustion may come down to how confident your people feel in their ability to act. —Rhett Power, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025

For the first time, the entire iPhone lineup supports an adaptive refresh rate of 1Hz to 120Hz and supports the always-on display feature, just like every Galaxy S25. —PC Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025

The current second-generation SE still uses an Apple S8 chip, and Apple Watch Series 4-era 40 and 44 mm screens that don't support always-on operation. —Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 5 Sep. 2025

What's more, the MicroLED version's battery life is far less than the AMOLED one (just four days in always-on smartwatch mode, compared to 15 days on the 51-mm AMOLED). —New Atlas, 5 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for always-on

• aileron
• antiphon
• autobahn
• carillon
• castellan
• celadon
• cephalon
• chitosan
• cynodon
• denouement
• deuteron
• echelon