television

noun

tele·​vi·​sion ˈte-lə-ˌvi-zhən 

especially British ˌte-lə-ˈvi-

1

: an electronic system of transmitting transient images of fixed or moving objects together with sound over a wire or through space by apparatus that converts light and sound into electrical waves and reconverts them into visible light rays and audible sound

2

: a television receiving set

3

a

: the television broadcasting industry

b

: television as a medium of communication

c

: programming distributed over the Internet that is designed to be viewed in the same format as broadcast television

A couple of couch companions watching TV on tablets might not see the same thing any more, even when watching the same shows. Ad personalization … has come to streaming television.

—Donna Howell

The quarter was the 10th anniversary of Netflix's streaming service, which began with the vision that internet television would ultimately replace traditional television.

—Emily Steel

Synonyms of television

• TV

Examples of television in a Sentence

people who turn on the television the minute they walk in the door

Recent Examples on the Web

For decades, the federal government has limited the total reach a single television broadcaster can have across the country, a cap intended to promote competition, encourage local programming and the airing of diverse viewpoints. — Savannah Sicurella, AJC.com, 6 Aug. 2026

As of this season, the 74-year-old Krukow has been part of the Giants broadcast team alongside play-by-play announcer Duane Kuiper for 36 years on both radio and television. — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026

After the show ended, Friebus continued working in television, complementing her extensive theater credits with guest roles on popular shows including Gunsmoke, Perry Mason, The Partridge Family and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. — Sophie Clausen, PEOPLE, 6 Aug. 2026

The incident also evoked a potentially telling reaction from Alexander Sosnowski, a pro-Kremlin propagandist who regularly appears as a guest on Russian state television. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 6 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French télévision, from télé- tele- + vision vision

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing television

• cable television
• community antenna television
• educational television
• on (the) television
• pre-television
• reality TV/television
• satellite television
• television set

Rhymes for television

• cablevision
• circumcision
• imprecision
• indecision
• subdivision
• supervision
• abscission
• collision
• decision
• derision
• division
• elision

Kids Definition

television

noun

tele·​vi·​sion ˈtel-ə-ˌvizh-ən 

1

: an electronic system of transmitting images with sound over a wire or through space by devices that change light and sound into electrical waves and then change these back into light and sound

2

: a television receiving set

3

: the television broadcasting industry