video conferencing
High (especially in business, technology, and education contexts)Formal to neutral. Common in professional, academic, and technical registers.
Definition
Meaning
A live, visual communication method between two or more people in different locations, using audio and video technology.
The technology, practice, and industry of conducting meetings, presentations, or personal interactions through real-time video and audio transmission. It can refer to the event, the medium, or the technical infrastructure.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often used as an uncountable noun (e.g., 'We use video conferencing daily'). Can also function as a compound adjective (e.g., 'video-conferencing software'). The term has largely supplanted older terms like 'videotelephony' in general usage.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling: 'video conferencing' (both) but compounds sometimes hyphenated as 'video-conferencing' slightly more often in British English. Vocabulary: 'To have a video call' is a common casual alternative in both, with no significant regional preference for the full term.
Connotations
Identical. No significant cultural or connotative differences.
Frequency
Equally frequent in both varieties, given its global technological nature.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
use [video conferencing] for meetingsconduct [video conferencing] with colleaguesparticipate in [video conferencing]connect via [video conferencing]be on [a video conferencing call]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[To be] all Zoomed out (platform-specific idiom for fatigue from video calls)”
- “Gallery view (technical idiom for the layout)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Standard term for remote internal and client meetings. E.g., 'Quarterly reviews will be conducted via video conferencing.'
Academic
Used for virtual lectures, seminars, and supervisor meetings. E.g., 'The symposium will use a hybrid model with in-person and video conferencing options.'
Everyday
Common for personal calls with friends and family. Often simplified to 'video call'. E.g., 'Let's do a video conference with the grandparents this Sunday.'
Technical
Refers to the underlying protocols, codecs, and systems (e.g., WebRTC). E.g., 'The new router prioritizes video conferencing traffic to reduce latency.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- We'll be video conferencing from the Edinburgh office.
- The team video-conferenced daily during the project.
American English
- We'll be video conferencing from the Chicago office.
- They video conferenced with the investors last week.
adverb
British English
- The meeting was held video-conferencing style, with some people dialling in.
American English
- We connected video-conferencing style for the quick update.
adjective
British English
- We need to upgrade our video-conferencing facilities.
- She is the video conferencing coordinator.
American English
- We need to upgrade our video conferencing hardware.
- He manages our video conferencing accounts.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- We use video conferencing to talk to my family in Spain.
- The teacher uses video conferencing for our English lessons.
- Many companies now use video conferencing to save money on travel.
- Could we schedule a video conferencing session for next Tuesday?
- The effectiveness of video conferencing relies heavily on a stable internet connection.
- He facilitated the international workshop via video conferencing.
- Despite its ubiquity, video conferencing fatigue is a genuine psychological phenomenon impacting remote workers.
- The contract was negotiated entirely through encrypted video conferencing platforms.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of VIDEO (you see them) + CONFERENCING (having a meeting). It's a 'seeing conference'.
Conceptual Metaphor
A MEETING ROOM IS A WINDOW (e.g., 'I'll see you in the video conference'; 'Open a window to the New York office').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid calquing as '*видео конференция*' for the activity itself; it often refers to a specific event/meeting. For the general technology/activity, the English uncountable noun is better translated as '*видеосвязь*' or '*проведение видеоконференций*'.
- The phrase 'video conferencing software' is typically '*программа для видеоконференций*', not '*видеоконференционное программное обеспечение*'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a countable noun for the technology (e.g., 'We need a new video conferencing' ❌). Correct: 'We need new video conferencing software.' ✅
- Confusing 'video conferencing' (the medium) with 'a videoconference' (a specific event).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the LEAST likely synonym for 'video conferencing' in a formal business report?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is most commonly written as two separate words ('video conferencing'). Hyphenation ('video-conferencing') is sometimes seen, especially when used as a compound adjective. The single word 'videoconferencing' is also accepted but slightly less common.
They are often used interchangeably. Technically, 'web conferencing' often implies a conference conducted specifically via web browsers/Internet, which may include screen sharing and whiteboards, while 'video conferencing' emphasizes the audio-visual component. However, modern platforms combine both.
Yes, informally (e.g., 'We are video conferencing at 3 PM'). However, in very formal writing, phrases like 'holding a video conference' or 'meeting via video conferencing' are preferred.
No, when referring to the technology or medium, it is uncountable. To refer to a single event, use 'a video conference' or 'a video conferencing call/meeting'.