What does autocue mean?
An autocue is a device used in broadcasting and public speaking that projects a moving script onto a transparent screen placed in front of a camera lens or audience-facing position. The presenter reads the text as it scrolls, creating the impression of speaking naturally and making eye contact while delivering prepared material. The word originated as a British trademark in the mid-twentieth century and has since become genericised in British English, serving as the everyday term for what Americans call a teleprompter. Autocues are ubiquitous in television news, political speeches, award ceremonies, and corporate presentations, and they have quietly reshaped how spoken media feels — polished, fluent, and seemingly spontaneous. The word also functions informally as a verb ('she was autocued through her lines'), though this is rarer. For learners, it is useful chiefly because it appears constantly in discussions of broadcasting, journalism, and political communication.
nounA device that displays a scrolling text of a speaker's script on a screen, typically mounted in front of a television or video camera, allowing the presenter to read while appearing to look directly at the audience. It is a British term, originally a trademark now used generically.
- A device displaying scrolling script to a speaker, especially in broadcasting, so they can read it while facing the camera.
"The newsreader stumbled when the autocue froze mid-sentence during the live broadcast."
"She delivered the entire keynote without once looking away from the autocue."
"The interview descended into chaos when the autocue displayed the wrong script."
Standard plural; the noun is countable and takes regular plural inflection.
"The studio installed two new autocues ahead of the election coverage."
Before the autocue, TV presenters had to memorise scripts or glance at cue cards — one 1950s invention let them lie convincingly straight to camera ever since.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of autocue
The word combines 'auto-', from the Greek 'autos' meaning 'self', with 'cue', a theatrical term for a signal prompting an actor's line or entrance. It arose as a trademark of the British company Autocue Ltd, which manufactured such devices from the mid-twentieth century, and like many trademarks it drifted into generic use in British English. Its American counterpart, 'teleprompter', was coined around the same era by the makers of the rival TelePrompTer device.
How autocue is actually used
'Autocue' began as a trademark of the British firm Autocue Ltd (founded mid-20th century) and has become genericised in British English, much as 'hoover' did. It is informal-to-neutral in register and standard in broadcasting contexts. In American English, 'teleprompter' is strongly preferred; using 'autocue' there sounds distinctly British.
Easily confused with autocue
'Teleprompter' is the equivalent American trademark and generic term for the same device, whereas 'autocue' is chiefly British.