A LAN is a Local Area Network: a way of linking computers that sit near each other — in one home, one office, one school building — so people can share files, a printer, or the same internet connection. “Local” here means “in this place,” not “across the country.” A WAN (wide area network) is the bigger cousin, reaching much farther. In IT, people say LAN all the time and write it in capital letters because it is a short form. In ordinary talk, many people just say “the wifi” or “the network,” even when they mean a LAN. Though actually, wifi is only the wireless kind; a LAN can also be made with cables. A “LAN party” is when friends bring computers to one room and play on the same local network.