home video

noun

plural home videos
1
: a homemade video (see video entry 1 sense 1) that is not usually intended for commercial release or distribution
We showed our friends home videos of our vacation in the Caribbean.
People are consuming millions of hours of shaky, selfie-quality home video on their phones every day.Karen Bussone
… make a home video, using a cell phone or camera, of yourself performing your selection.The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, North Carolina)
2
: prerecorded video (see video entry 1 sense 1a) marketed for home viewing
The popular TV series … returns to home video with the DVD and Blu-ray releases of … Season Three.Mike Spring
It's not clear when other [streaming] platforms will add season four, but it usually takes several months for new seasons to receive a home video release …Business Insider US

Examples of home video in a Sentence

the latest releases in home video We watched a home video of their wedding.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Cristiano Ronaldo Sweetly Kisses Daughter, Honors Late Son in Birthday Message Old home videos of his daughter were featured in the video, which ended with a clip of Scott revealing her pregnancy to her father. Raven Brunner, People.com, 20 Apr. 2025 Original shows for the FAST service, which will also be available via YouTube, include The Adoption Show, home video series Dogstar, and video podcast Pets Add Life. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2025 Cinema United trade group Chief Executive Michael O’Leary called on studios to extend most films to a 45-day theatrical window before home video and streaming, arguing that a baseline is needed to give moviegoers clearer expectations. Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2025 By the mid-1990s, Chan had amassed a substantial cult following in the US, thanks to the growing availability of his earlier films in the home video market, and finally achieved mainstream Hollywood success with Rumble in the Bronx (1995) and Rush Hour (1998). ArsTechnica, 7 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for home video

Word History

First Known Use

1980, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of home video was in 1980

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Cite this Entry

“Home video.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/home%20video. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

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