English Reference

Word

disseminate

Phoneticsdis·sem·i·nate

US/dɪˈsɛməˌneɪt/

UK/dɪsˈɛmɪnˌeɪt/

Definition

v. to spread information, news, or ideas to a large number of people. You use this when talking about sharing knowledge widely so that everyone can learn it.

v. to spread information, knowledge, or ideas widely. Transitive; typically describes the formal distribution of data or research to a broad audience.

Examples

“The health department will disseminate the new safety guidelines today.”

“The university uses its online portal to disseminate research findings to scholars across the globe.”

“In the digital age, social media platforms allow users to disseminate information instantaneously, though this speed often bypasses the traditional gatekeepers of factual accuracy.”

Examples

simple

“The health department will disseminate the new safety guidelines today.”

contextual

“The university uses its online portal to disseminate research findings to scholars across the globe.”

complex

“In the digital age, social media platforms allow users to disseminate information instantaneously, though this speed often bypasses the traditional gatekeepers of factual accuracy.”

Usage

The verb is transitive and takes a direct object; often used in academic or professional contexts.

Pitfall

The news disseminated quickly.

The news was disseminated quickly.

Disseminate is primarily transitive; when describing news spreading on its own, use 'spread' or the passive voice 'was disseminated'.

Real-World Examples

“Even though he was a man of faith, Manuzio maintained his passion for disseminating secular knowledge.”
The Guardian · 11 Aug 2026
“To van Dam, tailored experiences serve the museum’s goal of disseminating van Gogh’s story.”
Ars Technica · 25 Jul 2026

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dissēminātus, the perfect passive participle of dissēminō (“to broadcast, disseminate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), further from dis- (“asunder, in all directions”) + sēminō (“to plant, sow”), from sēmen (“seed”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix). See also Middle English disseminat(e) (“disseminated”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Collocations

disseminate information

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

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English Reference