coverage

American  

[kuhv-er-ij, kuhv-rij] / ˈkʌv ər ɪdʒ, ˈkʌv rɪdʒ /

noun

1. Insurance. protection provided against risks or a risk, often as specified.

   Does the coverage include flood damage?

2. Journalism. the reporting and subsequent publishing or broadcasting of news.

   The World Series receives international coverage.

3. the extent to which something is covered.

4. the area, groups, or number of persons served or reached by a newspaper, radio or television station, advertising campaign, business, etc.; market.

5. Radio and Television. the area within the broadcasting range of a station or network, usually calculated by the number of owners of radio or television receivers.

6. Finance. the value of funds held to back up or meet liabilities.

7. Photography. covering power.

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coverage British  

/ ˈkʌvərɪdʒ /

noun

1. the amount or extent to which something is covered

2. journalism the amount and quality of reporting or analysis given to a particular subject or event

3. the extent of the protection provided by insurance

4. finance

   1. the value of liquid assets reserved to meet liabilities

   2. the ratio of liquid assets to specific liabilities

   3. the ratio of total net profit to distributed profit in a company

5. the section of the public reached by a medium of communication

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Etymology

Origin of coverage

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15; cover + -age

Explanation

Use the noun coverage to talk about how much something is covered or included. If your history book's coverage of the Civil War is skimpy, you might want to do some extra research at the library. There's the TV news coverage of the winter Olympics — in other words, the way they show and comment on the events — and the spotty coverage of your lawn by the grass you planted. Something is covered in both examples, either literally or figuratively, and it's more common to use coverage in a figurative way. There's also insurance coverage, or the extent of protection it provides: "I have the cheapest car insurance coverage, so it won't pay to fix these dents."

Example Sentences

Thomas spent a decade working for NBC News in various production roles, including planning its election coverage.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

While FS KKR reported a 177% coverage ratio as of Dec. 31, the stock price’s deep discount to NAV suggests the fund might already be uncomfortably close to that regulatory cutoff.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

The research team plans to combine additional satellite data sources to fill in these gaps and achieve more consistent coverage.

From Science Daily • Apr. 22, 2026

“Nothing in UNH’s response suggested a retreat from GLP‑1 coverage or an unwillingness to engage in outcomes‑based reimbursement more broadly.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026

The story on the front page wasn’t coverage of the demonstration.

From "The Rock and the River" by Kekla Magoon

Related Words

• analysis
• insurance
• report