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Definition of television noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

television

noun
 
/ˈtelɪvɪʒn/
 
/ˈtelɪvɪʒn/
(also TV)
Idioms
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  1. (also television set)
    (also British English, informal telly)
    [countable] a piece of electrical equipment with a screen on which you can watch programmes with moving pictures and sounds
    • a widescreen/flat-screen/plasma television
    • to turn the television on/off
    • The series first appeared on television screens in 2017.
    Topics TV, radio and newsa1, Houses and homesa1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • broadcast
    • cable
    • closed-circuit
    verb + television
    • watch
    • switch on
    • turn on
    television + verb
    • broadcast something
    • screen something
    television + noun
    • broadcast
    • production
    • programme/​program
    preposition
    • in television
    • in front of the television
    • on television
    See full entry
  2. (also British English, informal telly)
    [uncountable] the programmes broadcast on television
    • We don't do much in the evenings except watch television.
    see also breakfast television, public televisionTopics TV, radio and newsa1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • broadcast
    • cable
    • closed-circuit
    verb + television
    • watch
    • switch on
    • turn on
    television + verb
    • broadcast something
    • screen something
    television + noun
    • broadcast
    • production
    • programme/​program
    preposition
    • in television
    • in front of the television
    • on television
    See full entry
  3. [uncountable] the system, process or business of broadcasting television programmes
    • satellite/terrestrial/digital/network television
    • These plays were originally broadcast on live television.
    • in television I'd like to work in television (= for a television company).
    • a television show/series/programme/broadcast
    • a television drama/documentary/interview/commercial
    • a television company/presenter/station/channel
    • a television viewer/audience
    • a television ad/commercial
    • the television news
    Collocations TelevisionTelevisionWatching
    • watch television/​TV/​a show/(British English) a programme/(North American English) a program/​a documentary/​a pilot/​a rerun/​a repeat
    • see (especially British English) an ad/(especially North American English) a commercial/​the news/​the weather
    • catch/​miss a show/​a programme/​a program/​an episode/​the news
    • pick up/​reach for/​grab the remote (control)
    • change/​switch channel
    • surf (through)/ (especially North American English) flip through/ (especially British English) flick through the channels
    • sit in front of/​switch on/​switch off/​turn on/​turn off the television/​the TV/​the TV set
    • have/​install satellite (TV)/cable (TV)/a satellite dish
    Showing
    • show a programme/​a documentary/​an ad/​a commercial
    • screen a programme/​a documentary
    • run an ad/​a commercial
    • broadcast/ (especially North American English) air/​repeat a show/​a programme/​a documentary/​an episode/​a series
    • go out/​air/​be recorded live
    • attract/​draw (in)/pull (in) viewers
    • be a hit with viewers/​audiences/​critics
    • get (low/​high) ratings
    Appearing
    • be on/​appear on television/​TV/​a TV show
    • take part in a phone-in/​a game show/​a quiz show/​a reality TV show
    • host a show/​a programme/​series/​a game show/​a quiz show/​a talk show/(British English) a chat show
    • be/​become/​work as a/​an (British English) TV presenter/​talk-show host/​sports commentator/​anchorman/(British English) newsreader
    • read/​present the news
    • appear/​perform live (on TV)
    Programme-making
    • do/​film/​make a show/​a programme/​a documentary/​an episode/​a pilot/​a series/​an ad/​a commercial
    • work on a soap (opera)/a pilot (episode)/a sitcom
    • write/​produce a drama/​sitcom/​spin-off/​comedy series
    see also cable television, closed-circuit television, digital television
    Extra Examples
    • She recalled her first television appearance forty years ago.
    • The Olympics receive extensive television coverage.
    • The state television screened pictures of the trial.
    • The trial was broadcast by local television.
    • a television adaptation of the popular novel
    • a television camera
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • broadcast
    • cable
    • closed-circuit
    verb + television
    • watch
    • switch on
    • turn on
    television + verb
    • broadcast something
    • screen something
    television + noun
    • broadcast
    • production
    • programme/​program
    preposition
    • in television
    • in front of the television
    • on television
    See full entry
  4. Word Originearly 20th cent.: from tele- ‘at a distance’ + vision.
Idioms
on (the) television
 
(also informal on TV)
(also British English, informal on (the) telly)
  1. being broadcast by television; appearing in a television programme
    • What's on television tonight?
    • Is there anything good on the telly tonight?
    • It was on TV yesterday.
    • Millions watched the events on live television.
    • The film has never been shown on television.
    • I recognize you. Aren't you on television?
    • She's always appearing on television.
See television in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee television in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
paragraph
noun
 
 
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