transmission

American  

[trans-mish-uhn, tranz-] / trænsˈmɪʃ ən, trænz- /

noun

• transmissions
  plural

1. the act or process of transmitting.

   Synonyms:

   conveyance, passing, passage, transfer

2. the fact of being transmitted.

   Synonyms:

   conveyance, passing, passage, transfer

3. something that is transmitted.

4. Machinery.

   1. transference of force between machines or mechanisms, often with changes of torque and speed.

   2. a compact, enclosed unit of gears or the like for this purpose, as in an automobile.

5. Radio and Television. the broadcasting of electromagnetic waves from one location to another, as from a transmitter to a receiver.

6. Physics. transmittance.

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transmission British  

/ trænzˈmɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of transmitting

2. something that is transmitted

3. the extent to which a body or medium transmits light, sound, or some other form of energy

4. the transference of motive force or power

5. a system of shafts, gears, torque converters, etc, that transmits power, esp the arrangement of such parts that transmits the power of the engine to the driving wheels of a motor vehicle

6. the act or process of sending a message, picture, or other information from one location to one or more other locations by means of radio waves, electrical signals, light signals, etc

7. a radio or television broadcast

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nontransmission
  noun
• pretransmission
  noun
• retransmission
  noun
• transmissibility
  noun
• transmissiveness
  noun
• transmissible
  adjective
• transmissive
  adjective
• untransmissive
  adjective
• transmissively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• transmissions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of transmission

1605–15; < Latin trānsmissiōn- (stem of trānsmissiō ) a sending across, equivalent to trānsmiss ( us ) (past participle of trānsmittere to send across) + -iōn- -ion. See trans-, mission

Explanation

Transmission is the act of transferring something from one spot to another, like a radio or TV broadcast, or a disease going from one person to another. The noun transmission comes from the Latin word transmissio, which means “sending over or across, passage.” The transmission of a message is the delivery of the message. Transmission can also be a communication sent out by radio or television, while the transmission of a disease is the passing of that virus or bacteria between people. A vehicle’s transmission is the part of the engine that uses the energy created by the burning fuel to make the axle turn.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

transmission transmissions

Mr. Wade calls this process of inheritance “catching,” the transmission of a tune without formal notation or instruction, overheard once and absorbed by musicians who may now be little remembered.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

Government fire investigators said the fire, which killed 19 people and destroyed thousands of homes, was caused by electrical arcing on Edison’s out-of-service transmission line in Eaton Canyon.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

"The disaster has damaged the production, transmission and distribution facilities of the Authority... resulting in disruption of electricity supply," it said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

The Morgan Stanley chart shows “the first indications of market transmission in selected commodities and company disclosures.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026

In January 1943, Werner finds a second illegal transmission coming from an orchard on which a shell has fallen, cracking most of the trees in half.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

Along with paying the fines, the GEO Group agreed to draft plans for avoiding aerosol transmissions at 12 secure and reentry facilities in California, including five detention centers that hold immigrants.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

The observations covered frequencies from 1 to 9 gigahertz, a range suitable for detecting narrowband radio transmissions.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 23, 2026

The combination would integrate Dana’s powertrain, thermal and sealing technologies with Eaton Mobility’s commercial-vehicle transmissions, engine and emissions products, and advanced electrification capabilities, forming a company with approximately $11 billion in sales.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

According to Moody’s, the bank has tested quantum key distribution, a method leveraging quantum physics to secure data transmissions.

From Barron's ● May 22, 2026

Editors quickly signed up to pay Morse for instant news transmissions by telegraph.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Related Words

• broadcast
• communication
• delivery
• gearbox