Belevitch V (May 1962). "Summary of the history of circuit theory". Proceedings of the IRE. 50 (5): 849. doi:10.1109/JRPROC.1962.288301. cites "IRE Standards on Circuits: Definitions of Terms for Linear Passive Reciprocal Time Invariant Networks, 1960". Proceedings of the IRE. 48 (9): 1609. September 1960. doi:10.1109/JRPROC.1960.287676.to justify this definition.
Sidney Darlington Darlington S (1984). "A history of network synthesis and filter theory for circuits composed of resistors, inductors, and capacitors". IEEE Trans. Circuits and Systems. 31 (1): 4. doi:10.1109/TCS.1984.1085415.
follows Belevitch but notes there are now also many colloquial uses of "network".