Wirelessly means doing something without needing wires or cables to connect devices. When you connect wirelessly to the internet, your computer or tablet talks to the router through invisible radio waves instead of through a cable plugged into the wall. When you use wireless headphones, sound travels from your phone to your ears through the air rather than through a cord.

The technology works a lot like a walkie-talkie: devices send and receive information through radio signals that we can't see or hear. Your TV remote controls your television wirelessly using invisible infrared light. Wireless charging lets you power up your phone by setting it on a special pad instead of plugging in a cable.

The word emphasizes freedom and convenience. You can move around your house while video chatting, or listen to music while exercising, without cables getting tangled or holding you back. Before wireless technology became common in the late 1990s and early 2000s, most devices needed physical wires to communicate, which meant computers stayed in one spot and phone calls required being tethered to the wall. Today, many of our devices can share information and power wirelessly, giving us much more flexibility in how and where we use them.