AOL

What company does AOL stand for?

America Online

AOL is a web-based company that was once the largest ISP in America and producer of AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), the most popular instant messaging program. Its popularity peaked in the late-1990s to the mid-2000s, but it was eventually acquired by Verizon Communications in 2015.

Many millennials who were teenagers and young adults during the 1990s and 2000s are very familiar with AOL because of the AIM messaging app. The popularity of AIM was partially due to the growth of personal computer and Internet usage during this time.

As its popularity waned in the late-2000s, AOL provided various services, including email and digital media. However, AOL eventually dissipated as Verizon acquired it and sold its media division to Apollo Global Management, which merged with Yahoo! Inc.

Example

I miss the peak days of AOL when I'd sit on AIM for hours after school
Those were the good ol days

Classic early-2000s AOL sign-in screen

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Updated August 21, 2023

AOL definition by Slang.net

This page explains what the acronym "AOL" means. The definition, example, and related terms listed above have been written and compiled by the Slang.net team.

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