telnet

noun

tel·​net ˈtel-ˌnet How to pronounce telnet (audio)
: a telecommunications protocol providing specifications for emulating a remote computer terminal so that one can access a distant computer and function online using an interface that appears to be part of the user's local system
telnet intransitive verb

Examples of telnet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The infected devices then attempt to crack the telnet password by guessing default and commonly used credential pairs. Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 10 Jan. 2024 The plan never came to fruition, but Gibson got to know the band; the Edge showed him how to telnet. Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2019

Word History

Etymology

teletype network

First Known Use

1969, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of telnet was in 1969

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Telnet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telnet. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.

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