disseminate

verb

dis·sem·i·nate di-ˈse-mə-ˌnāt

disseminated; disseminating

Synonyms of disseminate next

transitive verb

: to spread abroad as though sowing seed

disseminate ideas

: to disperse throughout

disseminator

-ˈse-mə-ˌnā-tər

noun

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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

He told me that as Commanding General [General David Petraeus] he believes he should not only direct battlefield action but also disseminate a few easy-to-grasp concepts about the war's prosecution, which subordinate officers can then interpret on their own. —

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web But Sharansky says that Fridman, who lost several family members at Babyn Yar, never made any attempt to disseminate Russian propaganda. —

Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Nov. 2023 And in an age when nearly everything is being disseminated on social media, theater requires the viewer to truly be present. —

Alessandra Codinha, Vogue, 21 Nov. 2023 The letter — a nearly 4,000-word translation of the al-Qaeda leader’s comments — had been originally posted in Arabic on a Saudi Arabian website used to disseminate al-Qaeda messages. —

Victoria Bisset, Washington Post, 16 Nov. 2023 But Al Jazeera, owned by the rulers of Qatar, has done the most to disseminate images of the devastation caused by the air strikes. —

David D. Kirkpatrick, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023 The Indian government says the blackouts tamp down unrest, but others say the measures ensure the government commands the public narrative, with evidence of human rights abuses becoming harder to disseminate. —

David Meyer, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2023 The group has created antisemitic fliers that have been disseminated in neighborhoods across the country. —

Donie O'Sullivan, CNN, 14 Nov. 2023 Local outlets, including radio stations, had been forced to stop broadcasting, and journalists have taken to disseminating news on their social media feeds. —

Mohamad El Chamaa, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2023 In other words, a small candle in a large room may not disseminate its scent thoroughly or with much strength. —

L. Daniela Alvarez, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disseminate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.