video

American  

[vid-ee-oh] / ˈvɪd iˌoʊ /

noun

1. a program, movie, or other visual media product featuring moving images, with or without audio, that is recorded and saved digitally or on videocassette: She used her phone to record a video of her baby's first steps.

   Let's stay at home and watch a video.

   She used her phone to record a video of her baby's first steps.

   I spent all morning watching videos of cats online.

2. Television.

   1. the elements of television, as in a program or script, pertaining to the transmission or reception of the image (distinguished from audio).

   2. the video part of a television broadcast.

3. Informal. videotape.

4. Informal. television.

   She is a star of stage and video.

5. music video.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the electronic apparatus for producing the television picture.

   video amplifier.

2. of or relating to television, especially the visual elements.

3. of or relating to videocassettes, VCRs, music videos, etc..

   a video shop.

4. pertaining to or employed in the transmission or reception of television pictures.

video British  

/ ˈvɪdɪˌəʊ /

adjective

1. relating to or employed in the transmission or reception of a televised image

2. of, concerned with, or operating at video frequencies

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noun

1. the visual elements of a television broadcast

2. a film recorded on a video cassette

3. short for video cassette video cassette recorder

4. an informal name for television

verb

1. to record (a television programme, etc) on a video cassette recorder

Etymology

Origin of video

First recorded in 1930–35; from Latin vidē(re) “to see” + -o, as in audio

Explanation

Video is a noun that refers to the recording or broadcasting of a moving image, like the funny video your friend took of you the first time you tried to skateboard. Video means a recorded image or movie, like a home video of your uncle's wedding or the video equipment a television station uses to make news stories. You can also call a movie you watch on your television or computer a video. A short film made to accompany a song? That's a music video. Video was first used in 1935 as a counterpart to audio which describes sound or music. It comes from the Latin word video: I see.

Example Sentences

The video displaying Russia’s state-of-the-art military equipment on Saturday sought to showcase the reach of its air defenses.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

In each video, runners dart around church staff and race up staircases, seeing how far they can get before someone asks them to leave or threatens to call the police.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

Now Banerji is a reporter and the host of our new video series, “The WSJ Money Interview.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

The song's music video proved too much for a group of "concerned" public figures in Cyprus, who called it "unsophisticated" and "insulting to Cypriot history, traditions and aesthetics".

From BBC • May 8, 2026

For a second, I sift through some of the best quotes from all the media I can think of—including video game cutscenes, Disney movies, and my favorite superhero television series.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Related Words

• broadcast
• program
• television