radio

adjective ra·dio \ ˈrā-dē-ˌō \

Updated on: 22 May 2018

Definition of radio

1 : of, relating to, or operated by radiant energy

2 : of or relating to electric currents or phenomena (such as electromagnetic radiation) of frequencies between about 3000 hertz and 300 gigahertz

3 a : of, relating to, or used in radio or a radio set

b : specializing in radio or associated with the radio industry

c (1) : transmitted by radio

(2) : making or participating in radio broadcasts

d : controlled or directed by radio

Origin and Etymology of radio

²radio or radio-

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1887

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Telecommunications Terms

Ethernet, intercept

radio

noun

Definition of radio

plural radios

1 a : the wireless transmission and reception of electric impulses or signals by means of electromagnetic waves

b : the use of these waves for the wireless transmission of electric impulses into which sound is converted

2 : a radio message

3 : a radio receiving set

4 a : a radio transmitting station

b : a radio broadcasting organization

c : the radio broadcasting industry

d : communication by radio

See radio defined for English-language learners

See radio defined for kids

Examples of radio in a Sentence

The news was sent by radio.
I listen to the radio all the time.
I heard the news on the radio.
There's a problem with the car's radio.
The radio was playing very loudly.
The pilot's radio wasn't working.

Recent Examples of radio from the Web

At Flag Day Fest Campground (700 South Full Curl Drive, Wasilla) This free, two-day event in Anderson Park supports radio station KSKO and promises some toe-tapping tunes, courtesy of Tanana Rafters, Saturday Cinders, Arctic Jungle and more.

— yoshina okamoto, Anchorage Daily News, "Here’s your Alaska summer 2018 festival guide," 17 May 2018
He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip?

— matier & ross, San Francisco Chronicle, "In Bay Area, Newsom leads big in race for governor — 2 Republicans are next," 16 May 2018
As a result, the writers of many classic songs don’t get paid when their music is played on satellite radio and on digital streaming services.

— michael collins, USA TODAY, "Songwriters, music executives urge Congress to pass first music copyright reform in decades," 15 May 2018
Few, if any, female stars of the era gained long-term traction on rock radio.

— dan deluca, Philly.com, "How Liz Phair's 'Exile in Guyville' lives on, and helped create Philadelphia's indie rock scene," 11 May 2018
Pettis, who is black, later appeared on the Lincoln Ware show on WDBZ radio (1230-AM), apparently against the orders of her superiors.

— james pilcher, Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati FOP president Hils, CPD lieutenant reprimanded for 'urban ghetto' incident," 10 May 2018
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said Wednesday in an interview on France Culture radio.

— the washington post, OregonLive.com, "Trump warns Iran of `severe consequence' if nuclear work resumes," 9 May 2018
But Fischer said during his appearance on ESPN radio last week that the Yum Center is an asset and Louisville isn't on the sidelines due in large part to having that arena.

— phillip m. bailey, The Courier-Journal, "Taxpayers won't have to pay to bring NBA to Louisville, Dan Issel says," 9 May 2018
So his arrival in Southern California received heavy coverage on Vietnamese-language radio and in the lively newspapers that circulate in central Orange County, home to the largest concentration of Vietnamese outside Vietnam.

— kevin baxter, latimes.com, "Trade for Nguyen adds to LAFC's international flavor," 5 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'radio.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of radio

short for radiotelegraphy

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1903

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

Other Telecommunications Terms

Ethernet, intercept

radio

verb

Definition of radio

transitive verb

1 : to send or communicate by radio

2 : to send a radio message to

intransitive verb

: to send or communicate something by radio

See radio defined for English-language learners

Examples of radio in a Sentence

The police radioed for backup.
The stranded sailors were radioing for help.
The pilot radioed in to the control tower.
The police radioed a report back to the station.
They radioed the Coast Guard for help.

Recent Examples of radio from the Web

Seconds later, an air-traffic controller radioed to the plane a command to cancel the landing.

— alan levin, Bloomberg.com, "Runway Lights Baffled Pilots on Night of San Francisco Near-Miss," 2 May 2018
No actual reply was written; instead the drafters scripted 12 general principles to consider before radioing a message from Earth.

— steve heisler, Chicago Reader, "Archive Dive / Paranormal / Science How to meet and greet little green men," 27 Apr. 2018
Shults calmly radioed air traffic controllers in Philadelphia to discuss her approach.

— Anchorage Daily News, "Inside Southwest Flight 1380, 20 minutes of chaos and terror," 19 Apr. 2018
Shults radioed to air traffic controllers, not a hint of alarm in her voice.

— matthew haag, BostonGlobe.com, "Pilot who landed damaged Southwest plane Is Navy veteran with ‘nerves of steel’," 19 Apr. 2018
The Guardsmen radioed local law enforcement, including Border Patrol, who took it from there.

— kaylee hartung, CNN, "National Guard troops on border acting as deterrent and extra sets of eyes, captain says," 11 Apr. 2018
A few minutes later, the air traffic controller radioed an American Airlines plane in the same area.

— grace donnelly, Fortune, "Pilots from American Airlines and Learjet Spotted a UFO over Arizona in February," 29 Mar. 2018
Indianapolis weather: 3-6 inches of snow could fall this weekend With the 707-horsepower Dodge moving so quickly, Eggert radioed ahead for other troopers to watch for it.

— justin l. mack, Indianapolis Star, "Dodge Challenger Hellcat caught doing 160 mph stopped on Indiana Toll Road," 22 Mar. 2018
Crews radioed the lost ship day after day, but nothing — no reply, no debris, not even an oil slick.

— tim prudente, baltimoresun.com, "Baltimore-bound USS Cyclops vanished 100 years ago. Its fate remains a mystery," 13 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of radio

1913

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Telecommunications Terms

Ethernet, intercept

radio-

combining form

Definition of radio-

— see radi-

RADIO Defined for English Language Learners

radio

noun

Definition of radio for English Language Learners

: the system or process that is used for sending and receiving signals through the air without using wires
: programs that are broadcast by radio
: a device that is used to receive the signals that are broadcast by radio

radio

verb

Definition of radio for English Language Learners

: to send a message to someone by radio

RADIO Defined for Kids

radio

noun ra·dio \ ˈrā-dē-ˌō \

Definition of radio for Students

plural radios

1 : the process that is used for sending or receiving signals by means of electromagnetic waves without a connecting wire

2 : a device that receives signals sent by radio

3 : programs that are broadcast by radio

4 : a device used to both send and receive messages by radio

5 : the radio broadcasting industry

radio

adjective

Definition of radio for Students

1 : of or relating to radio waves

2 : of, relating to, or used in radio broadcasting

radio

verb

Definition of radio for Students

radioed; radioing

: to communicate or send a message to by radio

Learn More about radio

See words that rhyme with radio Spanish Central: Translation of radio Nglish: Translation of radio for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of radio for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about radio

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radio

Definition of radio

Origin and Etymology of radio

Other Telecommunications Terms

radio

Definition of radio

Examples of radio in a Sentence

Recent Examples of radio from the Web

Origin and Etymology of radio

Other Telecommunications Terms

radio

Definition of radio

Examples of radio in a Sentence

Recent Examples of radio from the Web

First Known Use of radio

Other Telecommunications Terms

radio-

Definition of radio-

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