television

American  

[tel-uh-vizh-uhn] / ˈtɛl əˌvɪʒ ən /

noun

• televisions
  plural

1. the transmission of programming, in the form of still or moving images, via radio waves, cable wires, satellite, or wireless network to a receiver or other screen.

2. the process or product involved.

   to watch television.

3. an electronic device or set for receiving television broadcasts or similar programming.

4. the field of television broadcasting, or similar transmission of programming.

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television British  

/ ˈtɛlɪˌvɪʒən /

noun

1. the system or process of producing on a distant screen a series of transient visible images, usually with an accompanying sound signal. Electrical signals, converted from optical images by a camera tube, are transmitted by UHF or VHF radio waves or by cable and reconverted into optical images by means of a television tube inside a television set

2. Also called: television set. a device designed to receive and convert incoming electrical signals into a series of visible images on a screen together with accompanying sound

3. the content, etc, of television programmes

4. the occupation or profession concerned with any aspect of the broadcasting of television programmes

   he's in television

5. (modifier) of, relating to, or used in the transmission or reception of video and audio UHF or VHF radio signals

   a television transmitter

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pretelevision
  adjective
• televisional
  adjective
• televisionary
  adjective
• televisionally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• televisions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of television

First recorded in 1905–10; tele- ¹ + vision

Explanation

A television is an electronic device that broadcasts entertaining programs you can watch and listen to. You and your parents might argue over how much television you're allowed to watch on school nights. If you're North American, you probably call a television a TV, while in the UK it's common to use the nickname telly. The word television was first used for the very earliest versions of the TV, around 1900. The word comes from the Greek root tele, "far off," and the Latin visio, "sight." Other names suggested at the time for this brand new technology included telephote and televista.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

television televisions

Fox treated the Dodgers more as television content than as a community treasure.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026

But it also led to questions over where to draw the line between investigative journalism, police activity and reality television.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

CNN journalists won both the television prize and video image award for their report on Israeli soldiers serving settlers in the West Bank.

From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026

As long as television exists, “The Twilight Zone,” which premiered on Oct.

From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2026

I glance at the splintered television screen and wince.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

We slide into a pleather booth beneath burnt-orange walls and televisions playing Spanish-language fútbol.

From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026

Last year, YouTube became the most-watched video provider on televisions in the U.S., with people now enjoying YouTube on TV sets rather than on phones or other devices.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

Alas, “Out of the Further” merely serves up exploding televisions and cut-rate smoke machines, making this seemingly menacing purgatory feel more like a bummer way station.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Long known for its light bulbs and televisions, the Dutch consumer electronics giant has since refocused production on medical equipment.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

It wasn’t until the second plane hit, and someone who didn’t mean to holler hollered, that I looked up, there were hundreds of people around the televisions now, where had they come from?

From "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer

Related Words

• TV set
• audio
• box
• station
• video