streaming

1 of 3

noun

stream·​ing ˈstrē-miŋ 

1

: the act, the process, or an instance of streaming data (see stream entry 2 sense transitive 3) or of accessing data that is being streamed

… among the hundreds whose presentations are freely available for streaming on the conference website.

—Joanne McNeil

Streaming is preferable for sites that feature live broadcasts (e.g. live speeches and keynote addresses), in which case downloading files is not an option.

—Neo Mai and Ken Neo T. K.

2

: an act or instance of flowing

specifically : cyclosis

3

British : tracking sense 1

streaming

2 of 3

adjective

: relating to or being the transfer of data (such as audio or video material) in a continuous stream especially for immediate processing or playback

streaming

3 of 3

present participle of stream entry 2

Examples of streaming in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

At 25 minutes per episode, the show is designed for streaming services, and it has been given an innovative rollout in Germany this fall, when three episodes will launch on ZDF’s streaming service, with Episode 1 also available on YouTube. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026

Beyond the theatrical and streaming markets, the merger brings CBS News and CNN under the direction of a board that will ensure the editorial independence of each news outlet. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 6 Oct. 2026

Adjective

Pop culture in the pre-social internet, pre-streaming era was largely dictated top-down by industry gatekeepers, designed to appeal to as many people as possible. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026

In that pre-streaming age, when network TV shows still dominated the conversation, the NBC series was — in the months following its September 2006 debut — the thing everybody was talking about. — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

1980, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing streaming

• live streaming

Rhymes for streaming

• beaming
• creaming
• deeming
• dreaming
• gleaming
• leaming
• reaming
• scheming
• screaming
• seaming
• seeming
• steaming

Kids Definition

streaming

adjective

stream·​ing

ˈstrē-miŋ

: playing continuously as data is sent to a computer over the Internet

streaming video

Medical Definition

streaming

noun

stream·​ing ˈstrē-miŋ 

: an act or instance of flowing

specifically : cyclosis