disseminate

verb

dis·​sem·​i·​nate di-ˈse-mə-ˌnāt 

disseminated; disseminating

transitive verb

1

: to spread abroad as though sowing seed

disseminate ideas

2

: to disperse throughout

disseminator

-ˈse-mə-ˌnā-tər 

noun

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Disseminating Information on Disseminate

While the object of the verb disseminate may be something tangible, such as an infectious agent, nowadays the thing most often disseminated, or "spread abroad as though sowing seed," is information. Where does this metaphorical verb come from? In Latin, the dis- prefix signifies separation or dispersal, while the -sem- element springs from semen "seed." The same Latin noun is found in a number of other English words with figurative meanings: seminary (which now is a training facility for priests, but initially was a place where seeds were raised to plants), seminal (meaning "containing the seeds of later development"), and yes, the word semen.

Synonyms

• broadcast
• circulate
• propagate
• spread

Examples of disseminate in a Sentence

He told me that as Commanding General [General David Petraeus] he believes he should not only direct battlefield action but also disseminate a few easy-to-grasp concepts about the war's prosecution, which subordinate officers can then interpret on their own. —Steve Coll, New Yorker, 8 Sept. 2008

Jefferson helped found and back a friendly newspaper, the National Gazette, to help disseminate his views. —Walter Kim, Time, 5 July 2004

In this case, the filmmakers did not prevent information from being disseminated. And they have no greater moral obligation than do the highly paid Tom Brokaw or Dan Rather to help a TV network keep down its costs. —Randy Cohen, New York Times Magazine, 7 Oct. 2001

Although possession of virus software and source code is not illegal, many of the existing state and federal computer intrusion and unauthorized access laws already make it illegal to introduce a virus into someone's system intentionally. Robert Morris's conviction … shows how the existing laws might be used to punish those involved with disseminating viruses. —Edward A. Cavazos et al., Cyberspace And The Law, 1994

The Internet allows us to disseminate information faster.

The findings were widely disseminated.

Recent Examples on the Web

All opinions expressed by the CNBC Pro contributors are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of CNBC, NBC UNIVERSAL, their parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, internet or another medium. —Nishant Pant, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024

If Trump is reelected, Truth Social could become an increasingly important communication tool, in the way that the former president used Twitter to disseminate policy and other information during his administration. —David Goldman, CNN, 4 Nov. 2024

In February, an audio deepfake was disseminated that falsely purported to depict London Mayor Sadiq Khan making inflammatory comments before a major pro-Palestinian march. —Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024

In a stunningly short amount of time, a picture from a private moment can be stolen and disseminated to the public; this has played out in the growing number of cases of hacking, extortion, and personal damage. —John Kaag, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin disseminatus, past participle of disseminare, from dis- + seminare to sow, from semin-, semen seed — more at semen

First Known Use

1566, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

disseminate

verb

dis·​sem·​i·​nate dis-ˈem-ə-ˌnāt 

disseminated; disseminating

: to spread around as if sowing seed

disseminate ideas

dissemination

-ˌem-ə-ˈnā-shən 

noun

disseminator

-ˈem-ə-ˌnāt-ər 

noun