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• radio
  radio

  noun

  wireless telegraphy or telephony.
• radio-
  radio-

  a combining form with the meanings “dealing with radiant energy” (radiometer ), “employing or dealing with radio waves” (radioacoustics; radiolocation; radiotelephone ), “emitting rays as a result of the breakup of atomic nuclei” (radioactive; radiocarbon ), “characterized by, employing or dealing with such rays” (radiography; radiopaque; radiotherapy ).

radio

¹ American  

[rey-dee-oh] / ˈreɪ diˌoʊ /

noun

• radios
  plural

1. wireless telegraphy or telephony.

   speeches broadcast by radio.

2. an apparatus for receiving or transmitting radio broadcasts.

3. a message transmitted by radio.

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adjective

1. pertaining to, used in, or sent by radio.

2. pertaining to or employing radiations, as of electrical energy.

verb (used with object)

• radios,
  present (3rd person singular)
• radioed,
  past participle,  past
• radioing
  present participle

1. to transmit (a message, music, etc.) by radio.

2. to send a message to (a person) by radio.

verb (used without object)

• radios,
  present (3rd person singular)
• radioed,
  past participle,  past
• radioing
  present participle

1. to transmit a message, music, etc., by radio.

radio- ² American  

1. a combining form with the meanings “dealing with radiant energy” (radiometer ), “employing or dealing with radio waves” (radioacoustics; radiolocation; radiotelephone ), “emitting rays as a result of the breakup of atomic nuclei” (radioactive; radiocarbon ), “characterized by, employing or dealing with such rays” (radiography; radiopaque; radiotherapy ).

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radio ¹ British  

/ ˈreɪdɪəʊ /

noun

1. the use of electromagnetic waves, lying in the radio-frequency range, for broadcasting, two-way communications, etc

2. Also called (esp Brit): wireless.  an electronic device designed to receive, demodulate, and amplify radio signals from sound broadcasting stations, etc

3. a similar device permitting both transmission and reception of radio signals for two-way communications

4. the broadcasting, content, etc, of sound radio programmes

   he thinks radio is poor these days

5. 1. the occupation or profession concerned with any aspect of the broadcasting of sound radio programmes

      he's in radio

   2. (modifier) relating to, produced for, or transmitted by sound radio

      radio drama

6. short for radiotelegraph radiotelegraphy radiotelephone

7. (modifier)

   1. of, relating to, employed in, or sent by radio signals

      a radio station

   2. of, concerned with, using, or operated by radio frequencies

      radio spectrum

8. (modifier) (of a motor vehicle) equipped with a radio for communication

   radio car

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verb

1. to transmit (a message) to (a person, radio station, etc) by means of radio waves

radio- ² British  

combining form

1. denoting radio, broadcasting, or radio frequency

   radiogram

2. indicating radioactivity or radiation

   radiochemistry

   radiolucent

3. indicating a radioactive isotope or substance

   radioactinium

   radiothorium

   radioelement

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radio Scientific  

/ rā′dē-ō /

1. The equipment used to generate, alter, transmit, and receive radio waves so that they carry information.

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1. Relating to or involving the emission of radio waves.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preradio
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• radios
  plural

Participles

• radioing
  present
• radioed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• radio
  simple
• radios
  simple
• have radioed
  perfect
• has radioed
  perfect
• am radioing
  progressive
• are radioing
  progressive
• is radioing
  progressive
• have been radioing
  perfect progressive
• has been radioing
  perfect progressive

Past

• radioed
  simple
• had radioed
  perfect
• was radioing
  progressive
• were radioing
  progressive
• had been radioing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will radio
  simple
• will have radioed
  perfect
• will be radioing
  progressive
• will have been radioing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of radio¹

1910–15; shortening of radiotelegraph or radiotelegraphy

Origin of radio-²

< French, combining form representing Latin radius beam, ray, radius

Explanation

Radio is a way of transmitting sound using electromagnetic waves called radio waves. Nowadays, people usually only listen to the radio as they drive, but — before television — radio provided prime-time entertainment. When you turn on your car radio, you probably take for granted the many choices of music and talk stations you can choose from. The radio's electronic components do the amazing job of catching fast-moving radio waves in the air and translating them into sounds you can hear. Radios were originally called wireless because they transmit energy using waves instead of wires. The Latin root of radio is radius, "beam."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

radio radio- radios radioed radioing

When gravitational waves pass through the cosmos, they cause tiny changes in the timing of the radio pulses that eventually arrive at Earth.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026

This model would carry the risk "that one level of government points the finger at another, and ultimately little gets done," he told Deutschlandfunk radio.

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

Her breakout heart-melter, “Man I Need,” makes the simplest of requests—“Talk to me!”—seem extravagantly inviting, and it’s become her first billion-stream song on Spotify and first No. 1 on pop radio in the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

“Rocky Horror” gave him a film career and even led to a music sideline, with the 1979 radio hit “I Do the Rock.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

In the end it was just too painful to listen anymore to the radio, so we didn’t.

From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo

Surgery cures most breast cancer - but if some disease remains, chemo-, radio- and endocrine therapy can reduce the long-term risk of dying.

From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2023

The cooling water picks up radio- nuclides, many of which are then captured by a specially developed filtering process.

From Science Magazine ● Jan. 23, 2023

This 263-dish radio- and millimeter-wave interferometer will observe star-forming regions, active black holes and light associated with exploding stars with 10 times the sensitivity and resolution of the VLA.

From Scientific American ● Nov. 16, 2021

Crestview, a New York-based private-equity firm, created a strategic partnership with Cumulus in April to invest in radio- broadcasting companies.

From BusinessWeek ● Mar. 10, 2011

All these consequences of radiation have been duplicated in laboratory studies by a large group of chemicals known as radio- mimetic or radiation-imitating.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

"Both cars and phones include mobile phone radios, satellite location chips, short-range wireless activity and sophisticated software," he said.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

FBI agents found firearms, a tactical belt and radios inside Roa’s car.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026

Heads of kindergartens are given specialized crisis training and emergency supplies with radios, first-aid kits and portable stoves.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026

In addition to cars, marvels like refrigerators, radios and washing machines became commonplace.

From Barron's ● May 20, 2026

Some she heard over radios, and some was in her mind already without her ever having heard it anywhere.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

But after eight laps Norris radioed his team to say he had no rear grip and he began to lose time to the Mercedes and fall back into the clutches of Leclerc.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

“We’ve had a fire in the cabin; it was a mobile phone that scorched the inside of the cabin,” a pilot on board the BA flight radioed to air-traffic controllers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026

Minutes later, officials radioed that a caller who reached 911—an unidentified woman who said she wasn’t in the home and was driving from Baltimore to the address—had told dispatchers his front door was unlocked.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

Antonelli was closing at such a pace that a win seemed inevitable, but then he radioed that something was wrong with his car and he couldn't steer.

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026

"Commander," Beck radioed, "you need to get to the ship now."

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

Hamilton hit the mechanic on the front right tyre as he accelerated away, immediately radioing to check he was OK, which was confirmed by the team.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

Earlier this month, Busch had complained of a lingering, substantial cough, radioing his team to ask for the aid of a doctor after a race.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 23, 2026

Moments after the capsule reached orbit, a SpaceX mission control manager was heard jokingly radioing to the crew: "If you enjoyed your ride, please don't forget to give us five stars."

From Reuters ● Mar. 2, 2023

I call on the way and, like the pilot of a stricken plane radioing ahead with an order to foam the runway, I request that they get some drum hardware bags ready for me.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 2, 2022

So Teddy was the one who first spoke the words in our code, radioing back to General Smith at his command post on the beach.

From "Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two" by Joseph Bruchac

Related Words

• transmission
• wireless