What does bulletining mean?
"Bulletining" is the present participle of the verb "bulletin," used when someone broadcasts, publishes, or circulates official news by way of a bulletin. A bulletin itself is a brief, authoritative statement of news — issued by governments, broadcasters, hospitals, weather services, and organizations — and "bulletining" names the activity of putting such updates out, whether over the airwaves, on a noticeboard, or through a digital feed. The word is relatively rare in modern usage; most speakers encounter the noun "bulletin" far more often than the verb, and phrases like "issuing a bulletin" tend to replace it in everyday speech. Where it appears, it tends to sit in formal or journalistic contexts, describing the steady, ongoing release of verified information. The underlying term traces back through French and Italian to the Latin "bulla," the sealed document that gave its name to official pronouncements.
verb (present participle)The act of broadcasting, posting, or announcing information by means of a bulletin; the present participle of the verb "bulletin." It describes the ongoing process of issuing official news updates or notices.
- To broadcast, publish, or circulate official news or announcements by means of a bulletin.
"The station spent the morning bulletining updates about the approaching storm."
"Radio stations were still bulletining road closures hours after the storm had passed."
"The office manager took charge of bulletining the new safety procedures to all staff."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bulletining
The word descends from "bulletin," which entered English from French in the late 17th century, borrowed from the Italian "bollettino," a diminutive of "bulletta" meaning a small document or note. Italian took the term from the medieval Latin "bulla," originally the round seal attached to official documents, especially papal decrees — the same root that gives us the English words "bull" (an edict) and "bullet." Over time, "bulletin" came to mean any short official report, and the verb followed, with "bulletining" marking the continuous act of issuing such reports.
Related word forms
How bulletining is actually used
"Bulletining" is uncommon as a verb; the noun "bulletin" is far more frequent in everyday English, and people more often say "posting a bulletin" or "issuing a bulletin" than using the verbal form. When it does appear, it carries a slightly formal or journalistic register.
Easily confused with bulletining
"Bulletin" is typically the noun meaning an official news update or printed notice, while "bulletining" is the verb form describing the act of issuing such bulletins.