Definition of hardwired

The word "hardwired" originated in the field of electronics and computer science. It originally referred to the physical connection of wires or circuitry within a device or system. In the 1960s and 1970s, with the development of computers and early computer networks, "hardwired" came to be associated with the permanent, fixed configuration of a computer's internal components, such as the motherboard and wiring. This sense of permanence and rigidity was contrasted with the more flexible and adaptable nature of "software," which referred to programs and operating systems that could be easily modified or updated. In the 1980s, the term "hardwired" began to be used metaphorically to describe people's cognitive or behavioral patterns, implying that certain ideas, behaviors, or emotions were deeply ingrained or inseparable from one's nature.