noun · academic
virtual private network
UK/ˌvɜː.tʃu.əl ˈpraɪ.vət ˈnet.wɜːk/US/ˌvɜr.tʃu.əl ˈpraɪ.vət ˈnet.wɜrk/VIR·tu·al PRI·vate NET·work
a secure, encrypted connection that lets a user access the internet through a remote server
Examples
“I connected to a virtual private network to access my office files securely.”
“Using a virtual private network helps protect sensitive data when you're on public Wi‑Fi.”
“Some streaming services block content unless you use a virtual private network from an allowed country.”
Band 8 sentence
“To protect my banking details when I'm abroad, I always connect to a virtual private network before using any public Wi‑Fi.”
Collocations
- use a virtual private network
- connect through a virtual private network
- set up a virtual private network
Word family
Common mistakes
use VPN→use a VPN
private network→virtual private network
Say it for a higher band
5private network→6virtual network→7+virtual private network
Synonyms
secure tunnel
VPN
Easily confused
proxy server
“I changed my browser's proxy server to appear as if I were in another country.”
Related words
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In Technology & Internet
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