simulcast
Americanverb
noun
Etymology
Origin of simulcast
An Americanism dating back to 1945–50; simul(taneous) + (broad)cast
Explanation
When a program is shown on two TV channels at the same time, or simultaneously on TV and radio, that's a simulcast. Another kind of simulcast is a live broadcast. You can call a station's broadcast of the Superbowl or the Academy Awards a simulcast, although this is a newer way to use this word. It was coined in the 1940s, during the early days of television, from a portmanteau (or blend) of simultaneous and broadcast, specifically describing shows broadcast on radio and TV at the same time. If a concert is aired on two radio stations at once, that's also a simulcast.
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.
The results programme will be simulcast on BBC Radio Scotland from 10:00 to 13:00, and from 13:30 to 18:00.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
On top of that Amazon has reportedly paid for a stunning $35 million marketing campaign including television commercials, billboards and a simulcast in 25 theaters at the same time as Thursday's premiere.
From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026
The broadcast will be simulcast in multiple languages.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 17, 2025
The idea was that the money normally bet in Northern California, or acquired through simulcast wagering, would then be redirected to the south, so that Santa Anita and Del Mar could increase its daily purses.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 28, 2025
Then I’d listen to them in simulcast on the radio, and they would all have black American accents.
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
