A television or television set is a piece of electrical equipment consisting of a box with a glass screen on it on which you can watch programmes with pictures and sounds.
She turned the television on and flicked around between news programmes.
Synonyms: TV, telly [British, informal], small screen [informal], the box [British, informal] More Synonyms of television
2. uncountable noun
Television is the system of sending pictures and sounds by electrical signals over a distance so that people can receive them on a television in their home.
Toy manufacturers began promoting some of their products on television.
Television is increasingly being transmitted by satellites.
3. uncountable noun
Television refers to all the programmes that you can watch.
I don't have time to watch very much television.
4. uncountable noun
Television is the business or industry concerned with making programmes and broadcasting them on television.
British commercial television has been steadily losing its lead as the most advancedsector of the industry in Europe.
television in British English
(ˈtɛlɪˌvɪʒən)
noun
1.
the system or process of producing on a distant screen a series of transient visible images, usually with an accompanying sound signal. Electrical signals, converted from optical images by a camera tube, are transmitted by UHF or VHF radio waves or by cable and reconverted into optical images by means of a television tube inside a television set
2. Also called: television set
a device designed to receive and convert incoming electrical signals into a series of visible images on a screen together with accompanying sound
3.
the content, etc of television programmes
4.
the occupation or profession concerned with any aspect of the broadcasting of television programmes
he's in television
5. (modifier)
of, relating to, or used in the transmission or reception of video and audio UHF or VHF radio signals
a television transmitter
Abbreviation: TV
Derived forms
televisional (ˌteleˈvisional)
adjective
televisionally (ˌteleˈvisionally)
adverb
televisionary (ˌteleˈvisionary)
adjective
Word origin
C20: from tele- + vision
television in American English
(ˈtɛləˌvɪʒən)
noun
1.
the practice or science of transmitting scenes or views by radio or, sometimes, by wire: the television transmitter, by means of a camera tube, such as an image orthicon or vidicon, converts light rays into electric signals for modulation upon a radio carrier wave or for transmission over wires; the television receiver reconverts the signals into electron beams that are projected against the fluorescent screen of the kinescope, or picture tube, reproducing the original image
2.
a.
broadcasting by television as an industry, entertainment, art, etc.
b.
all the facilities and related activities of such broadcasting
3.
a television receiving set
4.
a television program or programs
they watched television last night
adjective
5.
of, using, used in, or sent by television
Derived forms
televisional (ˌteleˈvisional)
adjective
televisionally (ˌteleˈvisionally)
adverb
Word origin
tele- + vision
television in Hospitality
(tɛlɪvɪʒən)
Word forms: (regular plural) televisions
noun
(Hospitality (hotel): Hotel room, breakfast)
A television or television set is a piece of electrical equipment consisting of a box with a glass screen on iton which you can watch programs with pictures and sounds.
COLLOCATIONS: watch ~
There is a television in each room with a wide range of channels.
Turn on televisions in the rooms to make sure they work.
There is a remote control for the television in your room.
television in Electrical Engineering
(tɛlɪvɪʒən) or TV
noun
(Electrical engineering: Communication)
Television is the system for sending pictures and sound by electrical signals over a distance,so that people can receive them in their home.
In television transmission, three signals must be sent on the carrier: the audio, picture intensity,and picture chrominance.
Television signals are strongest when the station transmitting tower and the home receivingantenna are in line-of-sight.
Television is the system for sending pictures and sound by electrical signals over a distance,so that people can receive them in their home.
The only straight edges were on the television, which was even housed in a hideous gilt cabinet.
Val McDermid DEAD BEAT (2002)
This experience feels like actually being inside the television, which isn't what Luke wanted.
Scarlett Thomas GOING OUT (2002)
Their knees in the foreground, their dinners upon them, the brown carpet, the television.
Vanessa Jones THE KINDEST USE A KNIFE (2002)
None of the television networks could fathom the complete shutdown of their West Coast news operations.
Patrick Robinson BARRACUDA 945 (2002)
Quotations
Television tells a story in a way that requires no imaginationWitold Rybczynski
I find television very educational. Every time someone switches it on I go into another room and read a good bookGroucho Marx
In other languages
television
British English: television /ˈtɛlɪˌvɪʒən/ NOUN
A television or a television set is a piece of electrical equipment consisting of a box with a screen on which you can watch programmes with pictures and sounds.
She turned the television on.
American English: television
Arabic: تِلِفِزْيُون
Brazilian Portuguese: televisão
Chinese: 电视
Croatian: televizija
Czech: televize
Danish: fjernsyn
Dutch: televisie
European Spanish: televisor
Finnish: televisio
French: télévision
German: Fernsehen
Greek: τηλεόραση
Italian: televisione
Japanese: テレビ
Korean: 텔레비전
Norwegian: fjernsyn
Polish: telewizja
European Portuguese: televisão
Romanian: televizor
Russian: телевидение
Latin American Spanish: televisión
Swedish: tv
Thai: โทรทัศน์
Turkish: televizyon
Ukrainian: телевізор
Vietnamese: tivi
All related terms of 'television'
live television
Television refers to all the programmes that you can watch .
pay television
a system by which television programmes are transmitted in scrambled form, unintelligible except to those who have paid for descrambling equipment
television film
a feature-length film that is made specifically to be shown on television
television room
a room in a hotel , guest house, etc where guests may watch television
television set
→ another name for television (sense 2 )
television tube
a cathode-ray tube designed for the reproduction of television pictures
access television
television programmes made by the general public as distinguished from those made by professional broadcasters
cable television
Cable television is a television system in which signals are sent along wires rather than by radio waves .
color television
television that broadcasts in real-life colours, as opposed to black and white
colour television
television that broadcasts in real-life colours, as opposed to black and white
daytime television
television broadcasts that are shown during the daytime rather than in the evening
digital television
Digital television is television in which the signals are transmitted in digital form and decoded by the television receiver.
event television
television programmes focusing on events that attract media attention and high ratings
public television
publicly funded television ; non-commercial television
reality television
Television refers to all the programmes that you can watch .
state television
Television is the business or industry concerned with making programmes and broadcasting them on television.
television cabinet
a cabinet on which a television set is placed or in which it is encased
television company
a company that broadcasts programmes by television
television licence
a certificate giving official permission to own a television set
television lounge
a room in a hotel , guest house, etc where guests may watch television
television rights
the rights to televise something, such as a sporting event
television screen
the flat vertical surface in a television set on which pictures are shown
watch television
Television refers to all the programmes that you can watch.
appointment television
television programmes that people set aside time to watch
breakfast television
Breakfast television refers to television programmes which are broadcast in the morning at the time when most people are having breakfast.
commercial television
television companies which make money by selling advertising
educational television
television that is intended to teach and instruct the viewer , esp television intended to educate children
interactive television
techniques that enable viewers to interact with what they are watching
primetime television
Television refers to all the programmes that you can watch .
projection television
a television receiver in which a very bright picture on a small cathode-ray tube screen is optically projected onto a large screen
satellite television
television transmitted from an artificial satellite at a power suitable for direct reception in the home
television broadcast
a transmission or programme on television
television evangelist
a Christian minister who devotes time to preaching on television
television programme
a programme broadcast on television
terrestrial television
Television is the system of sending pictures and sounds by electrical signals over a distance so that people can receive them on a television in their home .
confessional television
television programmes , esp talk shows, in which members of the public reveal their private lives, personal problems , etc
subscription television
a system by which television programmes are transmitted in scrambled form, unintelligible except to those who have paid for descrambling equipment
flat-screen television
A flat-screen television is a television with a flat, narrow screen .
public access television
television in which local producers or individuals can participate
television licence fee
the fee charged for a television licence
closed-circuit television
a television system in which signals are transmitted from a television camera to the receivers by cables or telephone links forming a closed circuit , as used in security systems, etc
community antenna television
a television service in which programmes are distributed to subscribers' televisions by cable rather than by broadcast transmission
high definition television
a television system offering a picture with superior definition , using 1000 or more scanning lines, and possibly a higher field repetition rate to reduce flicker effects
closed-circuit television camera
a television camera transmitting signals to receivers by cables or telephone links forming a closed circuit , as used in security systems, etc
Independent Television Commission
the body that licenses and regulates all television services in Britain apart from the BBC
Chinese translation of 'television'
television
(ˈtɛlɪvɪʒən)
n
(c) (also television set) 电(電)视(視)机(機) (diànshìjī) (台, tái)
(u) (= system) 电(電)视(視) (diànshì)
(u) (= business) 电(電)视(視)业(業) (diànshìyè)
to be on television[programme]由电(電)视(視)播放 (yóu diànshì bōfàng) [person]上电(電)视(視) (shàng diànshì)
[ c ] ( of problems, questions ) 系列 xìliè ⇒ a new set of problems → 一系列新问题 yīxìliè xīn wèntí ( of cutlery, saucepans, books, keys ) 套 tào ( of golf clubs, spanners ) 成套 chéngtào
cable
[ c/u ] ( rope ) 缆(纜)绳(繩) lǎnshéng [ 根 gēn ]
ITV
Independent Television 独(獨)立电(電)视(視)台(臺) Dúlì Diànshìtái
satellite
[ c ] ( for communications ) 人造卫(衛)星 rénzào wèixīng [ 颗 kē ]
CCTV
closed-circuit television 闭(閉)路电(電)视(視) bìlù diànshì [ 个(個) gè ]
HDTV
high-definition television 高清电(電)视(視) gāoqīng diànshì
(noun)
Definition
a device for receiving broadcast signals and converting them into sound and pictures
She turned the television on and flicked around the channels.
Synonyms
TV
I prefer going to the cinema to watching TV.
The TV was on.
telly (British, informal)
small screen (informal)
the box (British, informal)
Did you actually go to the match or did you watch it on the box?
receiver
the tube (slang)
TV set
gogglebox (British, slang)
idiot box (slang)
Quotations
Television tells a story in a way that requires no imagination [Witold Rybczynski]I find television very educational. Every time someone switches it on I go into another room and read a good book [Groucho Marx]