ISP

American  

abbreviation

1. internet service provider: a company that offers access to the internet and to email, usually for a monthly fee.

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ISP British  

abbreviation

1. internet service provider, a business providing its customers with connection to the internet and other related services

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Etymology

Origin of ISP

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

In a unanimous 9-0 ruling, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Cox and said an ISP was liable "only if it intended that the provided service be used for infringement."

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

Cox Communications, a major broadband ISP, had asked the top court to throw out a jury verdict awarding $1 billion in damages to Sony Music Entertainment and other record labels.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

This could involve a further 1.28 million children being given a promise of support although the exact nature of the legal rights attached to an ISP are not yet clear.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026

VPNs route all of your web traffic through an encrypted tunnel, hiding your location and browsing activity from other users and even your ISP.

From Salon • Jul. 1, 2018

Short for `co-location', used of a machine you own that is physically sited on the premises of an ISP in order to take advantage of the ISP's direct access to lots of network bandwidthm.

From The Jargon File, Version 4.2.2, 20 Aug 2000 by Steele, Guy L.