TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design. That’s the original meaning behind the name, even though TED Talks now cover many more topics than those three areas.

Quick context

  • TED is the conference brand.
  • TED Talks are the individual presentations.
  • The slogan often associated with TED is “Ideas worth spreading”.

In practice

Today, TED talks can be about science, business, creativity, education, and more, so the name is more historical than limiting.