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

“People are trying to sleep,” said Rick Cole, a Pasadena City Council member in a video posted on Instagram late Wednesday as the training continued in the background.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026

The video drew 2.5 million viewers within 24 hours, the campaign says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026

Amelia Knox, a moderator for the private Facebook group The Swiftie's Society, is hoping for a reunion between Swift and guests of The Graham Norton Show who starred in her recent Opalite music video.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

The latest season’s numbers were 9% higher than a year ago, while its footprint beyond broadcast has more than doubled year-on-year to 2.5 billion video views on digital and social media.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

The Freedmen were a Muscogee Nation–level issue and climate change was a global one—bigger than the scope of a group of teenagers working together to create short-format video content.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Related Words

• broadcast
• program
• television