hypertext

noun

hy·​per·​text ˈhī-pər-ˌtekst How to pronounce hypertext (audio)
: a database format in which information related to that on a display can be accessed directly from the display
also : material (such as text) in this format
hypertextual adjective

Did you know?

Since hyper- generally means "above, beyond", hypertext is something that's gone beyond the limitations of ordinary text. Thus, unlike the text in a book, hypertext permits you, by clicking with a mouse, to immediately access text in one of millions of different electronic sources. Hypertext is now so familiar that most computer users may not even know the word, which was coined by Ted Nelson back in the early 1960s. It took a few more years for hypertext to actually be created, by Douglas Engelbart, and then quite a few more years before the introduction of the World Wide Web in 1991.

Word History

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hypertext was in 1965

Dictionary Entries Near hypertext

Cite this Entry

“Hypertext.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypertext. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

hypertext

noun
hy·​per·​text ˈhī-pər-ˌtekst How to pronounce hypertext (audio)
: a database method in which information related to that shown on a display screen can be accessed quickly from the display (as by a mouse click)

More from Merriam-Webster on hypertext

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