TKG English Learner's Dictionary

TV

TVabbreviation

American /ˌtiˈvi/ British /ˌtiːˈviː/ The stress is on the second letter when the word stands alone; before a noun, as in TV show, it moves to the first.
plural TVs
very common

TV is short for television: the machine, and the programs you watch on it.

  1. the machinethe machine with a screen on which you watch programs, short for television

    countable [C]

    Collocations

    verb + noun turn on the TV, turn off the TV, turn down the TV
    adjective + noun a big TV, a flat-screen TV, a smart TV
    noun + noun TV screen, TV set

    Synonyms television; telly (British and informal)

  2. the programsthe programs that people watch on a television

    uncountable [U] often before another noun [before noun]

    Collocations

    verb + noun watch TV
    preposition + noun on TV
    noun + noun TV show, TV program, TV series, TV news, TV channel, TV star

    Synonyms television

    1. athe business of making and showing television programs

      uncountable [U]

      Collocations

      phrase work in TV, a career in TV

Word family

  • television
  • televise

Common mistakes

I watched the TV all evening. I watched TV all evening.
For the activity, TV has no article; the TV is the machine: turn on the TV.
I saw a good film in TV. I saw a good film on TV.
Programs are on TV, not in TV.
We see TV every night. We watch TV every night.
For the activity, the verb is watch; see is used for noticing a person or a thing on TV: I saw him on TV.

For translators

Meaning across languages In many languages the everyday word is a local short form of television, said as a word. English uses TV, said as two letter names, in speech and writing alike, and it is not informal.
Grammar trap Countable for the machine (a TV, two TVs) and uncountable for the programs (watch TV, on TV, too much TV). For the activity the verb is watch, not see or look at. It is on TV, not in TV.
Pronunciation trap Two letter names, tee-vee, with the stress on vee.