disseminate
verb
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Disseminating Information on Disseminate
While the object of the verb disseminate may be something tangible, such as an infectious agent, nowadays the thing most often disseminated, or "spread abroad as though sowing seed," is information. Where does this metaphorical verb come from? In Latin, the dis- prefix signifies separation or dispersal, while the -sem- element springs from semen "seed." The same Latin noun is found in a number of other English words with figurative meanings: seminary (which now is a training facility for priests, but initially was a place where seeds were raised to plants), seminal (meaning "containing the seeds of later development"), and yes, the word semen.
Examples of disseminate in a Sentence
Steve Coll, New Yorker, 8 Sept. 2008
Jefferson helped found and back a friendly newspaper, the National Gazette, to help disseminate his views.
—Walter Kim, Time, 5 July 2004
In this case, the filmmakers did not prevent information from being disseminated. And they have no greater moral obligation than do the highly paid Tom Brokaw or Dan Rather to help a TV network keep down its costs.
—Randy Cohen, New York Times Magazine, 7 Oct. 2001
Although possession of virus software and source code is not illegal, many of the existing state and federal computer intrusion and unauthorized access laws already make it illegal to introduce a virus into someone's system intentionally. Robert Morris's conviction … shows how the existing laws might be used to punish those involved with disseminating viruses.
—Edward A. Cavazos et al., Cyberspace And The Law, 1994
The Internet allows us to disseminate information faster.
The findings were widely disseminated.
Tony Zhang, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2025
Plus, while a bipartisan House group reviews and approves materials, the rules on franking allow representatives to disseminate political critiques and messages that can sometimes appear like campaign ads.
—Brittany Carloni, IndyStar, 11 Aug. 2025
McGarr said he was recruited to run by Arizona Freedom Caucus leader state Sen. Jake Hoffman and former lawmaker Liz Harris, who was expelled from office in 2023 for her role in disseminating a baseless conspiracy theory to a legislative committee.
—Ray Stern, AZCentral.com, 30 July 2025
Black women–led health advocacy organizations are part of the effort to to educate and disseminate information about conditions that disproportionately impact women of color.
—Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for disseminate
Cite this Entry
“Disseminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disseminate. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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disseminate
verb
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