网络 (wǎng luò) literally combines 网 (wǎng), meaning 'net' or 'web', and 络 (luò), meaning 'network' or 'interconnected system'. Together, they refer primarily to computer networks—especially the Internet—but can also denote any interconnected system of people, devices, or information. It’s the standard term for 'network' in technological, academic, and everyday contexts in modern Chinese.

Unlike the more general term 系统 (xìtǒng, 'system'), 网络 emphasizes connectivity, nodes, and flow—whether data across servers, social ties among users, or infrastructure like telecom networks. It appears in compound words like 互联网 (hùliánwǎng, 'Internet'), 局域网 (júyùwǎng, 'LAN'), and 社交网络 (shèjiāo wǎngluò, 'social network'). While historically used for physical nets (e.g., fishing nets), its dominant modern sense is digital and abstract.