subnetwork

noun

sub·​net·​work ˌsəb-ˈnet-ˌwərk How to pronounce subnetwork (audio)
variants or sub-network
plural subnetworks or sub-networks
: a portion of a network : a network within a network
a health care subnetwork
telecommunications subnetworks
If the data's destination is within the local subnetwork, the bridge discards it, thus cutting down on unnecessary network traffic.Jackie Fox

Examples of subnetwork 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.
Mixture-of-experts models achieve computational efficiency by routing tokens to specialized subnetworks, but dynamic routing creates load imbalance and communication overhead that generic GPU deployments struggle to handle. Janakiram Msv, Forbes.com, 19 Jan. 2026 The lifeline included a subnetwork for LGBTQ+ youth soon after its launch in July 2022. Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 17 July 2025 As of June 2025, more than $33 million in funds have been spent to support the subnetworks, fully expending the monies allocated for 988 Lifeline LGB+ subnetwork services. ABC News, 4 July 2025 Ensemble learning breaks up the work of a neural network into specialized subnetworks called learner networks. Sven Bilén, IEEE Spectrum, 23 July 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1924, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of subnetwork was in 1924

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Cite this Entry

“Subnetwork.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subnetwork. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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