Definition, synonyms and related words
plural of programme
"The television schedule features a mix of educational programmes and entertainment shows throughout the week."
In plain English: Programmes are planned sets of activities or shows that happen at specific times, like TV schedules or school projects.
"We watched several educational programmes on television last night."
Usage: Use programmes to refer to multiple scheduled broadcasts or television shows. This spelling is standard in British English and other regions that follow Oxford conventions.
Third-person singular simple present indicative form of programme
"The television station airs a new variety show every Saturday morning in its broadcast schedule."
In plain English: To programme something is to give it specific instructions so it knows exactly what steps to follow automatically.
"The team will programme the computer to sort the files automatically."
Usage: Do not use "programmes" as a verb; instead, say that someone programs or programmes something, depending on whether you are writing in American or British English. The word "programmes" itself is strictly the third-person singular present tense form of the noun-based verb "to programme," which means to write computer code or schedule an event.
Derived from the French programme, originally denoting a written list of events in an order to be performed, it entered English via Latin roots meaning "to write beforehand." The term later evolved to describe any plan or schedule of action.