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broadcasting

[brawd-kas-ting, -kah-sting]
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noun
  1. the act of transmitting speech, music, visual images, etc., as by radio or television.
  2. radio or television as a business or profession: She's training for a career in broadcasting.
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Origin of broadcasting

First recorded in 1920–25; broadcast + -ing1
Related formspre·broad·cast·ing, adjective

broadcast

[brawd-kast, -kahst]
verb (used with object), broad·cast or broad·cast·ed, broad·cast·ing.
  1. to transmit (programs) from a radio or television station.
  2. to speak, perform, sponsor, or present on a radio or television program: The president will broadcast his message on all stations tonight.
  3. to cast or scatter abroad over an area, as seed in sowing.
  4. to spread widely; disseminate: She broadcast the good news all over town.
  5. to indicate unwittingly to another (one's next action); telegraph: He broadcast his punch and the other man was able to parry it.
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verb (used without object), broad·cast or broad·cast·ed, broad·cast·ing.
  1. to transmit programs or signals from a radio or television station.
  2. to make something known widely; disseminate something.
  3. to speak, perform, sponsor, or present all or part of a radio or television program: The Boston Symphony Orchestra broadcasts every Saturday on our local station.
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noun
  1. something that is broadcast.
  2. a single radio or television program.
  3. the broadcasting of radio or television messages, speeches, etc.
  4. a single period of broadcasting
  5. a method of sowing by scattering seed.
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adjective
  1. (of programs) transmitted from a radio or television station.
  2. of or relating to broadcasting.
  3. cast abroad or all over an area, as seed scattered widely.
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adverb
  1. so as to reach the greatest number of people by radio or television: The vital news was sent broadcast to inform the entire nation.
  2. so as to be cast abroad over an area: seed sown broadcast.
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Origin of broadcast

1760–70; orig., broad (adv.) + cast, past participle of cast
Related formsun·broad·cast·ed, adjective
Can be confusedbroadcast narrowcast simulcast
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

transmission, television, radio, performing, reporting, transmitting, airing, newscasting

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British Dictionary definitions for broadcasting

broadcast

verb -casts, -casting, -cast or -casted
  1. to transmit (announcements or programmes) on radio or television
  2. (intr) to take part in a radio or television programme
  3. (tr) to make widely known throughout an areato broadcast news
  4. (tr) to scatter (seed, etc) over an area, esp by hand
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noun
    1. a transmission or programme on radio or television
    2. (as modifier)a broadcast signal
    1. the act of scattering seeds
    2. (as modifier)the broadcast method of sowing
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adjective
  1. dispersed over a wide areabroadcast seeds
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adverb
  1. far and wideseeds to be sown broadcast
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Derived Formsbroadcaster, nounbroadcasting, noun
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

Word Origin and History for broadcasting

n.

1922, verbal noun from broadcast (v.).

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broadcast

1767, adjective, in reference to the spreading of seed, from broad (adj.) + past participle of cast (v.). Figurative use is recorded from 1785. Modern media use began with radio (1922, adjective and noun). As a verb, recorded from 1813 in an agricultural sense, 1829 in a figurative sense, 1921 in reference to radio.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper