disseminate

American  

[dih-sem-uh-neyt] / dɪˈsɛm əˌneɪt /

verb (used with object)

disseminates, present (3rd person singular) disseminated, past participle, past disseminating present participle

1. to scatter or spread widely, as though sowing seed; promulgate extensively; broadcast; disperse.

   to disseminate information about preventive medicine.

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disseminate British  

/ dɪˈsɛmɪˌneɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to distribute or scatter about; diffuse

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Usage

What does disseminate mean? To disseminate is to distribute, spread, broadcast, or disperse widely. The act or process of disseminating is dissemination. The word is especially used in reference to the distribution of information, or things that contain information, like files and documents. It is also associated with the official release of such information by organizations, such as a company that disseminates a press release or a government agency that disseminates information to the public. Example: Our chief media officer is responsible for disseminating press releases to various outlets.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• dissemination
  noun
• disseminative
  adjective
• disseminator
  noun

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have disseminated
  perfect
• has disseminated
  perfect 3rd person singular
• disseminating
  participle
• has been disseminating
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• are disseminating
  progressive
• have been disseminating
  perfect progressive
• is disseminating
  progressive 3rd person singular
• disseminates
  singular 3rd person
• am disseminating
  progressive 1st person singular

Past

• had disseminated
  perfect
• had been disseminating
  perfect progressive
• disseminated
  participle
• was disseminating
  progressive singular
• disseminated
  simple
• were disseminating
  progressive plural

Future

• will disseminate
  simple
• will have disseminated
  perfect
• will be disseminating
  progressive
• will have been disseminating
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of disseminate

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin dissēminātus (past participle of dissēmināre; dis- dis- ¹ + sēmināre “to sow”), equivalent to dis- + sēmin- (stem of sēmen “seed”) + -ātus -ate ¹

Explanation

Disseminate means to spread information, knowledge, opinions widely. Semin- derives from the Latin word for seed; the idea with disseminate is that information travels like seeds sown by a farmer. Think about a teacher distributing a hand out at the beginning of a class. The dis- of disseminate and distribute come from the same Latin prefix which means "apart, in a different direction." But unlike papers distributed in class, information, once spread around in all directions, cannot be pulled back in. Think about false rumors or political smear campaigns and you'll understand that dissemination is usually a one-way process.

Example Sentences

The third-party disclosure rule exists because sharing information with a human being creates a risk that the human will further disseminate it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

In their open letter, the memorials called on social media platforms to "proactively combat AI content that distorts history" and to "exclude accounts that disseminate such content from all monetisation programmes".

From Barron's • Jan. 27, 2026

And it formed a coalition with Turning Point USA, Hillsdale College, PragerU and dozens of other conservative groups to disseminate patriotic programming.

From Salon • Oct. 9, 2025

This includes a claim that Meta AI is allowed to disseminate false information about celebrities, as long as it provides a disclaimer that says the information provided is not accurate.

From BBC • Aug. 18, 2025

And with the steady advances in telecommunications, they would soon be able to disseminate their own digital content in so many new ways to so many more people.

From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman

Related Words

• advertise
• circulate
• disperse
• propagate
• publicize
• publish