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

With the 36-inch water transmission line undergoing repairs, West Hollywood is currently being served by an 8-inch distribution pipe.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026

"An Evening with Petula" in concert was the first colour transmission on BBC One television in 1969.

From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026

However, research suggests the MenB vaccine doesn't necessarily prevent transmission of the infection from person to person, doesn't target all the different B bacteria strains and doesn't provide long-term protection.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

Boston: From a Boston laboratory, Alexander Graham Bell’s first successful transmission, in 1876, collapsed the barriers of distance, forever altering human interaction.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

It has changed, certainly, and it is now experienced in all sorts of ways that would have surprised, for instance, Edvard Grieg, the Norwegian composer who died a few months after that historic transmission.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

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

From Science Daily ● Jun. 23, 2026

MasTec is now a leading North American infrastructure and construction company, with 50% of its business from oil and natural-gas pipelines and 30% from high-voltage electric power transmissions, with just 25% from telecoms.

From MarketWatch ● May 13, 2026

While playing radio transmissions from that day, he asked jurors to pay close attention to the information coming over police radio.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2026

This often made it scrappy and innovative, however, often pioneering technologies like better automatic transmissions, cruise control and four-wheel anti-lock brakes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 4, 2026

No artifact of human technology, not even our radio transmissions, has had time, even traveling at the speed of light, to go 200 light-years.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Related Words

• broadcast
• communication
• delivery
• gearbox