video
VIHD-ee-oh
Video (noun) means Recorded moving pictures, with or without sound, that can be played back on a screen. Example: “She posted a video of the concert online.”
noun
1
Recorded moving pictures, with or without sound, that can be played back on a screen.
"She posted a video of the concert online."
"The security camera captured video of the whole incident."
"The teacher showed a short video about how bees make honey."
2
Television or screen-based visual content in general.
"Young people today spend hours watching video instead of reading books."
"The museum uses video and sound to bring old stories to life."
"The band's new single is getting a lot of video play."
verb
1
To record something using a camera, especially for later viewing.
"Can you video the school play for Grandma?"
"They videoed the whole interview on a phone."
"I want to video our daughter's first steps so we can keep the memory."
How to use video
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA recording you can watch — or the act of making one.
Common mistake
As a verb it's mostly informal ("video the match"); "film" or "record" are more neutral choices in formal writing.
Common pairings
watch a video
video call
video footage
shoot a video
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like video.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- videos, videmus, videoes
- Third person singular
- videoes
- Past tense
- videoed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She posted a _____ of the concert online.
Etymology
From the Latin verb videre ("to see"), with the ending "-o" added by analogy with "audio" — video is literally "I see" in Latin.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for video
See all rhymes for video →Frequently asked questions
What does “video” mean?
The word “video” means recorded moving pictures, with or without sound, that can be played back on a screen. In plain terms, a recording you can watch — or the act of making one.
How do you pronounce “video”?
“Video” is pronounced VIHD-ee-oh (/ˈvɪd.i.oʊ/ in IPA).
How do you use “video” in a sentence?
Here is “video” used in a sentence: “She posted a video of the concert online.”
What part of speech is “video”?
Depending on how it is used, “video” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “video” come from?
The word “video” comes from Latin. From the Latin verb videre ("to see"), with the ending "-o" added by analogy with "audio" — video is literally "I see" in Latin.
Is “video” a common word?
“Video” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “video” have?
“Video” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: recorded moving pictures, with or without sound, that can be played back on a screen.
What is the difference between a video and a film?
The words overlap, but "film" often means a longer, professionally made work shown in cinemas, historically shot on film stock. "Video" is broader and more everyday: any recorded moving pictures, from a short phone clip to an online tutorial. All films can be watched as video, but most videos are not films.
What is the difference between video and audio?
Audio is sound alone, such as music, speech, or a podcast, with nothing to watch. Video is moving pictures, usually with sound but sometimes silent. In short, audio is what you hear, and video is what you see and hear together. A phone call is audio; a video call adds the picture.
What are the types of video?
Video comes in many forms, grouped by purpose: home videos, music videos, tutorials, vlogs, adverts, live streams, and short-form clips made for social media. It is also described by quality and format, such as high definition (HD), 4K, and slow motion. The common thread is recorded moving pictures played on a screen.
What is an example of video?
A clip filmed on a phone at a birthday party is video. So is a film streamed on television, a tutorial watched online, a music video, or footage from a security camera. Any recorded moving picture you can play back on a screen counts as video.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include video:
