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Showing results for airplay. Search instead for Fair+Play.

airplay

American  
[air-pley] / ˈɛərˌpleɪ /

noun

  1. the act or an instance of broadcasting recorded material over radio or television.


airplay British  
/ ˈɛəˌpleɪ /

noun

  1. (of recorded music) radio exposure

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of airplay

First recorded in 1965–70; air 1 + play

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

While the album received R&B and jazz radio airplay, it wasn’t a mainstream smash, peaking at No. 51 on the Billboard charts.

From Los Angeles Times May 19, 2026

Radio airplay, strong word of mouth, glossy production and a slick cover that looked like an upscale fragrance ad helped the record sell a million copies by September 1976.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 23, 2026

Last Christmas is nominated for the prize for most performed work, which is based on airplay.

From BBC Apr. 23, 2025

While speaking to Fox, Willis noted that the track had seen a significant spike in airplay in recent weeks.

From Salon Dec. 5, 2024

It's good enough for divvying up the royalties paid by musical rights societies for radio airplay and live performance.

From Ebooks: Neither E, Nor Books by Doctorow, Cory

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