streaming

1 of 2

noun

stream·​ing ˈstrē-miŋ How to pronounce streaming (audio)
1
: the act, the process, or an instance of streaming data (see stream entry 2 sense transitive 3) or of accessing data that is being streamed
… among the hundreds whose presentations are freely available for streaming on the conference website.Joanne McNeil
Streaming is preferable for sites that feature live broadcasts (e.g. live speeches and keynote addresses), in which case downloading files is not an option.Neo Mai and Ken Neo T. K.
2
: an act or instance of flowing
specifically : cyclosis
3
British : tracking sense 1

streaming

2 of 2

adjective

: relating to or being the transfer of data (such as audio or video material) in a continuous stream especially for immediate processing or playback

Examples of streaming in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The slam against the streaming service that has long drawn complaints for its modest pay-outs to musicians came after a recent announcement from Spotify about an update of its royalties payment system a press release said was intended to address streaming fraud. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 30 Nov. 2023 Disney ultimately listened to Loeb, and poured billions into streaming content. Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Nov. 2023 However, the move toward streaming made the need for specialist equipment obsolete as people started to be able to do their own mixing and mastering engineering on a laptop, Grainger says. Lisa Kocay, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023 As the streaming landscape continues to readjust after a turbulent few years, some platforms are riding the wave more comfortably than others. K.j. Yossman, Variety, 30 Nov. 2023 The feature — which is woven into the platform's personalized end-of-year user streaming data — shows Spotify users what cities have listening habits similar to theirs. Daysia Tolentino, NBC News, 30 Nov. 2023 The disarmingly beautiful song has endured, however, becoming one of the Pogues’ top streaming tracks after appearing in the films Mystery, Alaska and P.S. Al Shipley, SPIN, 30 Nov. 2023 Changing the default music service means that Siri voice commands to hear artists, songs, albums, or playlists will be sourced through a different streaming app. David Nield, Popular Science, 30 Nov. 2023 Her favorite artist, the Neighbourhood, has been her top streaming artist since 2019. Heidi Pérez-Moreno, Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2023
Adjective
As streaming growth slowed after the pandemic, media companies consolidated through mergers such as HBO Max with Discovery Plus, and Paramount Plus with Showtime. Taylor Telford, Washington Post, 21 July 2023 The joint streaming rights between Disney+ and Max is the product of an unusual deal signed last year that allows Max to share streaming windows with Disney+ and Hulu for half the studio’s titles through the 2022 release year. Anna Tingley, Variety, 15 May 2023 Dangerous: The Double Album, released a month before the slur video was released by TMZ, clocked in at 30 tracks — a streaming-age bonanza that helped his already-lofty chart positions. Maura Johnston, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2023 The agreement provided for two types of content: long-form episodes over 20 minutes that first appear on a non-streaming platform and episodes from seasons 24 to 26 that do not fall into the first category. Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Feb. 2023 The plane crash, the survival, the supernatural, the flash-forwards … Yellowjackets’ success is owed in part to its weekly-release model — a throwback to pre-streaming times — which allows for buzz and anticipation, to grow. Vulture, 18 Jan. 2022 However, it’s been tough to find non-streaming shows that get recognition from SAG-AFTRA. Emily Longeretta, Variety, 26 Nov. 2022 If that show was indie antics on late-night Netflix, this one feels more like a throwback to the network prime-time mysteries of a pre-streaming era, but her charm carries it. Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 30 Jan. 2023 But, in the pre-pandemic era (and, even more, in the pre-streaming era), a film’s artistic value wasn’t necessarily at odds with its commercial appeal. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 26 Dec. 2022 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

1980, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of streaming was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near streaming

Cite this Entry

“Streaming.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/streaming. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

streaming

adjective
stream·​ing
ˈstrē-miŋ
: playing continuously as data is sent to a computer over the Internet
streaming video

Medical Definition

streaming

noun
stream·​ing ˈstrē-miŋ How to pronounce streaming (audio)
: an act or instance of flowing
specifically : cyclosis
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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