disseminating: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1formal, academic, professional, journalistic
Quick answer
What does “disseminating” mean?
the act of spreading or distributing information, knowledge, or ideas widely to many people.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
the act of spreading or distributing information, knowledge, or ideas widely to many people.
the process of broadcasting or circulating something (e.g., seeds, propaganda, data, content) so that it reaches a broad or intended audience.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Spelling and pronunciation are consistent.
Connotations
Slightly more common in UK academic/medical writing ('disseminating research findings'), but equally standard in US equivalents.
Frequency
Comparable frequency in both varieties. Slightly higher in UK corpora due to formal institutional language.
Grammar
How to Use “disseminating” in a Sentence
disseminating [noun] to [recipient/audience]disseminating [noun] among [group]disseminating [noun] through/via [medium/channel]responsible for disseminatingaimed at disseminatinginvolved in disseminatingVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “disseminating” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The charity is dedicated to disseminating vital health information in rural communities.
- The university has a policy for disseminating research findings to the public.
American English
- The agency is responsible for disseminating weather alerts nationwide.
- Their main role involves disseminating company updates through the internal portal.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Disseminating quarterly reports to all stakeholders.
Academic
The conference is crucial for disseminating new research in oncology.
Everyday
She's responsible for disseminating the meeting notes to the team.
Technical
The network protocol is responsible for disseminating updates to all nodes.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “disseminating”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “disseminating”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “disseminating”
- Misspelling: 'dissimenating' or 'diseminating'.
- Using it for small-scale sharing ('I disseminated the memo to John').
- Confusing with 'dissipate' (The fog disseminated).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily for information, knowledge, or ideas. Its original meaning relates to scattering seeds, so it can be used literally in agriculture/biology, but this is less common.
Yes. While often neutral or positive, it can be used in negative contexts like 'disseminating hate speech', 'disseminating propaganda', or 'disseminating rumours'.
'Distributing' is broader and more physical (distributing food, distributing leaflets). 'Disseminating' is more abstract, focused on non-material things like information, and implies a wider, more broadcast-like spread.
It follows standard verb form rules. The '-ing' form (gerund/participle) is used for continuous tenses ('They are disseminating'), as a noun ('Disseminating is key'), or after prepositions ('responsible for disseminating'). The core meaning remains the same.
the act of spreading or distributing information, knowledge, or ideas widely to many people.
Disseminating is usually formal, academic, professional, journalistic in register.
Disseminating: in British English it is pronounced /dɪˈsem.ɪ.neɪ.tɪŋ/, and in American English it is pronounced /dɪˈsem.ə.neɪ.t̬ɪŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Spreading like wildfire (related concept)”
- “Getting the word out (related concept)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of SEMINAR + DISPERSE. A seminar is for sharing knowledge, and to DISPERSE is to spread out. DISSEMINATING is like holding a giant seminar to disperse knowledge far and wide.
Conceptual Metaphor
INFORMATION IS A SEED (to be sown/scattered), INFORMATION IS A VIRUS/EPIDEMIC (spreading through a population).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'disseminating' LEAST appropriate?