# World Wide Web

CEFR B1 · Compound

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/world-wide-web
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Definition

the collection of all the websites and pages you can see on the internet using a browser.

For teachers: an information system of interlinked hypertext documents and other resources accessed via the internet. Often used with the definite article 'the'.

## Examples

- The World Wide Web changed how we share information.
- Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989 to help scientists share data more easily.
- While the internet refers to the underlying global network of hardware, the World Wide Web is the software layer that allows users to navigate content through hyperlinks.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I searched on World Wide Web" but "I searched on the World Wide Web" — The term is a unique proper noun and requires the definite article 'the'.

## Usage notes

- Always capitalised and typically preceded by 'the'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.