broadcast

American  

[brawd-kast, -kahst] / ˈbrɔdˌkæst, -ˌkɑst /

verb (used with object)

• broadcasts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• broadcast,
  past participle,  past
• broadcasted,
  past participle,  past
• broadcasting
  present participle

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)

• broadcasts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• broadcast,
  past participle,  past
• broadcasted,
  past participle,  past
• broadcasting
  present participle

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.

noun

• broadcasts
  plural

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.

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.

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.

broadcast British  

/ ˈbrɔːdˌkɑːst /

verb

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 area

   to broadcast news

4. (tr) to scatter (seed, etc) over an area, esp by hand

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noun

1. 1. a transmission or programme on radio or television

   2. ( as modifier )

      a broadcast signal

2. 1. the act of scattering seeds

   2. ( as modifier )

      the broadcast method of sowing

adjective

1. dispersed over a wide area

   broadcast seeds

adverb

1. far and wide

   seeds to be sown broadcast

Usage

What does broadcast mean? Broadcast means to transmit a television or radio program, as in The network broadcasted cartoons every Saturday morning. In this sense a broadcast can be a single TV or radio program, as in the 6 o’clock news broadcast. Broadcast also means to deliver a message on a transmitted program, as in The police broadcasted the press release on the evening news. More generally, broadcast means to spread something widely, as in She broadcasted her recent wedding engagement to all of her family members. Related to this sense, a broadcast can be news or something similar that you share widely, like your broadcast to your classmates about the A you got on the test. Broadcast also means to mistakenly make a next move obvious, as in The boxer broadcasted his punch with a flashy windup. Example: Coverage of the awards ceremony was the leading story on every news broadcast. 

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• broadcaster
  noun
• broadcasting
  noun
• unbroadcasted
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• broadcasts
  plural

Participles

• broadcasting
  present
• broadcast
  past
• broadcasted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• broadcast
  simple
• broadcasts
  simple
• have broadcast
  perfect
• have broadcasted
  perfect
• has broadcast
  perfect
• has broadcasted
  perfect
• am broadcasting
  progressive
• are broadcasting
  progressive
• is broadcasting
  progressive
• have been broadcasting
  perfect progressive
• has been broadcasting
  perfect progressive

Past

• broadcast
  simple
• broadcasted
  simple
• had broadcast
  perfect
• had broadcasted
  perfect
• was broadcasting
  progressive
• were broadcasting
  progressive
• had been broadcasting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will broadcast
  simple
• will have broadcast
  perfect
• will have broadcasted
  perfect
• will be broadcasting
  progressive
• will have been broadcasting
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of broadcast

First recorded in 1760–70; originally, broad (adverb) + cast, past participle of cast ( def. )

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Explanation

To broadcast is to air a program, especially on TV or radio. It also means to tell people about something. If you paint your one true love’s name on your car, you broadcast your feelings to the whole world! The word broadcast used to have to do with spreading seed, but now it refers to spreading information. It can be a noun or verb — if you turn on the radio, you're hearing a broadcast, and the station is broadcasting that show. You don’t have to be in a studio to broadcast, though. Any time you let a lot of people know about something (whether they like it or not), you broadcast. When information is broadcast, it becomes widely known.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

broadcast broadcasts broadcasted broadcasting

Following the Panorama broadcast, Channel 4's chief executive Priya Dogra initially didn't apologise, although she did express her "sympathy" for those who had spoken up.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

Simmons’ connection to the property received new attention mere months ago when broadcast journalist Diane Sawyer visited the home to spend time with the fitness guru’s brother, Lenny Simmons, and his housekeeper, Teresa Reveles.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026

Kornacki’s 10½ hours of continuous online coverage were woven into NBC’s election broadcast, which according to early data from Nielsen led the TV competition Tuesday night.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

But by allowing herself to cry on camera, Sanders-Townsend broadcast a different kind of signal.

From Salon ● Nov. 4, 2026

“You know, this game is being broadcast globally by satellite. People will be watching you from all around the world. This could be the most widely watched television event since J. R. was shot.”

From "The Million Dollar Shot" by Dan Gutman

De Gaulle is himself accused of being a traitor at home, for fleeing to England and making his celebrated broadcasts via the BBC.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

In the 1990s, he approached tourists in the riverside city of Hue to test whether school lessons and Voice of America broadcasts translated to the real world.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

Yet two of the ads continued running past the court’s deadline, including during broadcasts of “60 Minutes” and “ABC World News Tonight.”

From Salon ● Oct. 27, 2026

Channel Nine, which broadcasts Married at First Sight Australia, confirmed that it was "aware of a police investigation" involving the show's production company.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

These young people showed an indifference toward the war, disrupted youth service obligations, and listened illegally to foreign radio broadcasts.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

The BBC broadcasted all England's games and the final, with the Sweden fixture peaking at three million viewers.

From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2026

It’s hard to call it media because it’s not mass broadcasted, but this is content that is being consumed.

From Slate ● Mar. 22, 2026

While organizers deemed the two-day ceremony too far on the timeline to cancel, the red carpet prior to the broadcasted event was canceled.

From Salon ● Nov. 28, 2025

Footage broadcasted by the news outlet showed debris and smoke rising from the side of mountain near the town.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 27, 2023

He, fortunately, understood English, recognized the discourse as that which Shaw had broadcasted the previous evening, realized the significance of what had happened, and sent a letter to the medical press about it.

From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley

"I didn't realise how tough it was going to be when I first started doing it," said Rooney about transitioning from football to broadcasting.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

Based on the evidence available and the balance of probabilities, Channel 4 and CPL's welfare protocols were compliant with Ofcom's broadcasting code.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

Suddenly the surest path to growing market share for a local station was no longer hiring the most popular news anchors or broadcasting the local college’s sporting events, but securing “Seinfeld” rights.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

Rather than broadcasting one general message, it delivers signals to specific destinations, with different groups of neurons responding to different experiences.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026

Mr. Curtain was not broadcasting his messages at full-power yet—otherwise all four of them would hear voices, not just Constance.

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart

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Related Words

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