on-line vs online

on-line

online

adj
  • Available over, or delivered from, the Internet. 

  • Of a computer: actively connected to the Internet or to some other communications service. 

  • Connected to the Internet. 

  • Available on a computer system, even if not networked. 

  • Of a generator or power plant: connected to the grid. 

  • Of a system: active, particularly building facilities (such as power) or a factory or power plant. 

  • Immersed in Internet culture. (Usually modified by an intensifier such as extremely or terminally) 

verb
  • To bring (a system, etc.) online; to promote to an active or running state. 

adv
  • While online; while in a running or active state, or connected to the Internet. 

How often have the words on-line and online occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )