Airing

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈɛəɹɪŋ/

Definitions

1. The act of letting something be exposed to fresh air to dry or ventilate ; the transmission of a program or show via radio or television ; the process of openly sharing opinions or grievances
2. Exposing items to outside air to refresh or dry them ; the presentation of content on broadcast media ; verbally communicating thoughts or concerns to others
3. Allowing air to circulate around something for ventilation ; showing a TV or radio show to the public ; making personal feelings or issues known publicly

Etymology: Airing is a formation of an ordinary word plus a suffix, and its meanings grew out of the verb "air" in three steps. The verb came first, meaning to expose something to fresh air, and the noun for that act followed naturally: a damp blanket taken out on a sunny morning was getting an airing. The noun's sense of making something public came from the same verb. To air an opinion was to let it out into the open air, as one might let a stuffy room breathe. The broadcasting sense came later, when radio and then television gave the verb a new public stage. A programme that goes on the air is sent out to listeners, so a broadcast became an airing, and the phrase "airing grievances" kept the older idea of putting private complaints into the open. Each meaning thus grows from the same image of bringing something out into the air where others can see or hear it.

Synonyms: broadcast, transmission, showing, presentation, exhibition

Antonyms: concealment, hiding, sheltering, secrecy, suppression