on air
43
3.6
- idiom
:
en vivo
- I'm actually doing my first on-air interview today, so...
- an on air personality
- go on air
- an on air correspondent
I'm predicting my death on air live to them.
- I'm predicting my death on air live to them.
- And whenever we come back on air, whenever that is, you'll see me.
- And I was just about to text him live on air and say, Chris, what are you talking about?
- second-half is where we answer our guests and viewers questions live on air.
- So no, the left wing MSNB MSNBC anchors laughed on air and said it was the funniest story of the year for them.
- And for anyone listening, we are actually playing scratch cards live on air.
- And they said on air, if it wasn't for this guy, we would not be here back doing this show again.
Examples
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The programme goes on air tonight, not next month.
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Three minutes till we're on air.
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Yeah, live on air and also recorded.
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Are we still on air?
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The TV network reported the story on air.
Academic text (2009) -
Anna, we on air in five minutes.
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I'm about to go on air!
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With thousands of weekday shows on air, it is rare for a weekend program to make the list.
Blog text (2) -
Well, this is first time we've spoken on air in over a year and it is the first television interview you've done since the election.
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We're on air right now doing the weather.
Synonyms
342
3.2
At the same time as it is seen or heard
Antonyms
How Live
43
3.6
3
3.6
Surface Forms
Morphology
The sense 'broadcasting live' is related to combining 'on' (indicating an active/state) with 'air' viewed as the broadcast medium, so there is a recognizable compositional link. However, 'air' meaning 'the medium of broadcasting' is somewhat specialized/idiomatic and may not be obvious to a B1 learner who only knows the basic sense of 'air', so prior exposure is often needed.
Etymology
The phrase on air comes from early radio: when a studio sent voices out through the 'air' so people could hear them, the program was said to be on air. That's why on air means 'being broadcast live'.