webinar

IPA/ˈwebɪnɑː(r)/
KK[wˈɛbɪnɚ]IPA/ˈwebɪnɑːr/

webinar — noun

  • webinarsingular
  • webinarsplural

1. a live talk or training session delivered over the internet, where people watchi

1.nounB1
Definition

a live talk or training session delivered over the internet, where people watching can ask questions or share their thoughts

Example

Takeshi signed up for a free webinar on growing your own vegetables.

Kofi asked three questions during the company's lunch-hour webinar.

collocation: ask questions during a webinar

Common collocations
  • attend a webinar
  • host a webinar
  • join a webinar
  • sign up for a webinar
  • free webinar
  • live webinar
  • recorded webinar
Synonyms
  • online seminar

    more formal; often used in academic settings

  • webcast

    usually a one-way broadcast with less audience interaction

  • virtual workshop

    suggests hands-on activities and a smaller group

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

attend/host/join a webinar

webinar on/about [topic]

Usage Note

Common verbs used with 'webinar' include 'attend,' 'host,' 'join,' and 'sign up for.' Viewers can usually send questions through a chat box during the session.

Common Mistakes

We had a webinar to discuss the project.' (when it was a small team talking back and forth).
We had a video call to discuss the project.
a webinar is a presentation with one or few speakers and many viewers, not a two-way discussion among equals.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A webinar is an interactive online event — usually educational — where a presenter shares information and viewers can ask questions. A webcast is a one-way broadcast with little audience participation; think of a company streaming its annual results rather than a training session where you raise your hand. An online seminar is the closest synonym but sounds more academic and formal. A virtual workshop suggests hands-on activities and smaller groups, where everyone takes part rather than just listening. A livestream is the broadest term: it covers anything broadcast live online, from a concert to a gaming session, with or without an educational purpose.

webcast ↗online seminarvirtual workshoplivestream ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • webinar series
  • webinar platform
  • webinar recording

Phrases

  • attend a webinar
  • host a webinar
  • join a webinar
  • sign up for a webinar
  • free webinar
  • live webinar
  • recorded webinar

Prepositions

Etymology

English

A blend of 'web' (from World Wide Web) and 'seminar.' The term appeared in the late 1990s as internet-based conferencing tools became widely available for business and education.

First known use

1998

1998, in the meaning defined above