television

noun

tele·​vi·​sion ˈte-lə-ˌvi-zhən 

 especially British  ˌte-lə-ˈvi-

often attributive

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—routine for most of the Web—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

• boob tube
• box
• idiot box
• telly [chiefly British]
• tube
• 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

Even as his acting career now spans three decades, Jude Law continues to be a Hollywood leading man, with his impressive versatility to play characters from many walks of life, in a wide range of film & television projects. —Jeff Conway, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024

In his television appearance, Milei was asked about one of Keynes’s books and went into a spasmodic rage. —Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024

That observation is backed up in the details of Brickman's long and wide-ranging resume with a stint as a late-night television writer. —Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 2 Dec. 2024

By her 20th birthday, Michaels had written several television themes as well as songs for Ross Lynch, Selena Gomez, Fifth Harmony, Demi Lovato, and even Creed’s Scott Stapp. —Bill Kopp, SPIN, 2 Dec. 2024

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

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