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

Etymology

Origin of broadcast

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

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

The bench matters in the broadcast booth, too: J.J.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

Pakistan threatened to abandon the second Test over an interview broadcast by Sky with the sons of Imran Khan.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

The interview with Angela Rayner will be broadcast on BBC2 at 12:30 BST on Friday 11 September, and 17:30 BST on Saturday 12 September.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

We recently recovered the air checks from that day, the actual tapes of the broadcast.

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026

On the night of October 30, 1938, only a small percentage of the national radio audience was tuned to CBS’s War of the Worlds broadcast.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow

Rescuers have widened their search area, Cayabyab says, adding that the coastguard has deployed one of its largest ships and done radio broadcasts to vessels in the area.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

It was a statement perfectly calibrated the next day in newspapers and local news broadcasts.

From Slate ● Sep. 10, 2026

Nine of the 10 sections in the state leave it up to schools to decide regular-season broadcasts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

Telling a federal judge the same kind of thing carries the threat of disbarment and perjury charges, and no amount of bravado previously reserved for on-air broadcasts could change that math.

From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026

According to a German prisoner, the radio broadcasts to the German troops at the front warned, “Attention, attention, the ladies are in the air, stay at your shelter.”

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

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

Last year, Kardashian Barker broadcasted her love for breast milk, yet again, after she revealed that she “pounded” a glass of her own milk to heal from sickness.

From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2025

It is believed the last time people ventured on to Heard Island was in 2016, when a group of amateur radio enthusiasts broadcasted from there with permission of the Australian government.

From BBC ● Apr. 3, 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

But the company did not end up broadcasting Thursday’s event, leaving investors to glean information through scattered sources.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026

After her death was announced, the then-BBC director general Tim Davie paid tribute to her as "a broadcasting icon", while Radio 4 controller Mohit Bakaya described her as "warm, fearless and beloved by listeners".

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

With extended family who dominate Venezuelan industries from beer to television broadcasting, the Cisneroses have long been the country’s most prominent business dynasty.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

"As the Premier League's broadcasting footprint has increased so has the value of these deals," Maguire said.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

It instantly began broadcasting conversations between ground control and the B-29 observation planes.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• advertise
• announce
• blare
• circulate
• communicate
• declare
• disseminate
• distribute
• publish
• spread