(1) A non-curved TV screen. Some TV sets are available in a curved model, and "flat screen" is used to refer to the regular non-curved models. Contrast with
curved screen.
(2) The screen in a computer monitor or TV. The term was used years ago to refer to the emerging LCD screens, which were considerably thinner than bulky CRTs. However, in the last years of their life span, CRTs were made with less-rounded screens and sometimes were misleadingly advertised as flat-screen TVs. See
flat CRT,
flat panel display and
flat panel TV.