noun

hotspot

HOT-spot

Hotspot (noun) means a place where a wireless network is made available so that people nearby can get online, such as in a café, hotel or airport. Example: “The station has a free hotspot, but you have to sign in through a web page first.”

noun

A place where a wireless network is made available so that people nearby can get online, such as in a café, hotel or airport.

"The station has a free hotspot, but you have to sign in through a web page first."

"We mapped the public hotspots along the route before setting off."

A feature of a phone or other mobile device that shares its mobile data connection with nearby devices over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or a cable.

"I turned on the hotspot on my phone so my laptop could get online from the train."

"Running a hotspot all afternoon drained the battery."

general use More generally, a place where something happens far more than elsewhere, such as an area of unusual activity, risk or interest.

"That junction is a hotspot for cyclists' near misses."

How to Use Hotspot

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA spot where you can get onto Wi-Fi, or your phone acting as one for other devices.

When to use it

Everyday. Written as one word in technical use; hot spot as two words is more common for the general sense of a busy or risky place.

Memory tip

For the networking senses, one word: hotspot. For a general area of activity, both hotspot and hot spot are accepted.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

tethering router → access point Wi-Fi

Common pairings

mobile hotspot personal hotspot free hotspot turn on the hotspot public hotspot

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The station has a free _____, but you have to sign in through a web page first.

Etymology

A compound of hot, in the figurative sense of intense or active, and spot, a place. The wireless sense extends the older general meaning of an area of concentrated activity.

Origin: English

Synonyms

View more →

Wi-Fi hotspot access point public Wi-Fi wireless access point personal hotspot mobile hotspot tethering trouble spot cluster focal point

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a hotspot and tethering?

They overlap. Tethering is the general act of sharing a phone's mobile data with another device, whether over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or a USB cable. A hotspot specifically means doing it by having the phone broadcast a small Wi-Fi network that other devices join.

Does using a phone hotspot use mobile data?

Yes. Anything the connected laptop, tablet or console downloads is carried over the phone's mobile data connection and counts against whatever allowance that plan has.

Is a public hotspot the same as home Wi-Fi?

Both are Wi-Fi networks, but a public hotspot is shared with strangers and often requires agreeing to terms on a sign-in page. A home network is usually protected by a password known only to the household.

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