Learn in the textbookWireless LAN and Wi-Fi
DefinitionWi-Fi is the brand name carried by IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN products that an industry group has certified as able to connect with other makers' products.
ExplanationCertification is run by the industry group Wi-Fi Alliance, and its logo signals that products from different makers should connect with each other. Today the word is used almost as a synonym for wireless LAN.
AnalogyIt works like a standards-compliance mark on home appliances. Seeing the mark tells you that products from different makers can be used together.
Memory hookThe name is said to have been coined to echo Hi-Fi, the term for high-fidelity audio.