cable television

noun

: a system of television reception in which signals from distant stations are picked up by a master antenna and sent by cable to the individual receivers of paying subscribers

called also cable TV

Examples of cable television in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Growing up in Canada, Fielder was raised by two social workers, attended public school, and didn’t have cable television at home. — Preston Fore, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026 Malone, a cable television pioneer who went on to build a diversified media portfolio, was a major stakeholder in WBD. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2026 The commercials ran on network and cable television and were paid for through a $20 million contract from the Department of Homeland Security. — Santul Nerkar, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2026 Sotheby’s will offer the collection of cable television magnate Ted Baum and his wife, interior designer Ruth Baum, with the whole estimated to total in excess of $100 million. — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cable television

Word History

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cable television was in 1951

Rhymes for cable television

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Browse Nearby Words

cable tank
cable television
cable tier
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Cite this Entry

“Cable television.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cable%20television. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

cable television

noun
: a system of television reception in which signals from distant stations are picked up by a main antenna and sent by cable to the sets of paying subscribers

called also cable TV

More from Merriam-Webster on cable television

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cable television

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