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

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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

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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

Emissions occur at every stage, from extracting gas held underground, to processing, transmission and distribution.

From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026

Much of the region’s power is shipped eastward through long-range transmission lines, providing energy for Chinese data centers and electric cars.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

The agency says travellers from countries with active or relevant Ebola transmission may be required to complete a health declaration form.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

“Investment across smart-grid infrastructure and data transmission supports silver demand, and we see AI as a growth source for the next several years,” said Trevor Yates, senior investment analyst at Global X ETFs.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 17, 2026

It was like a garbled transmission from a starship in distress.

From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram

"Ukrainian reliance on Starlink is massive," said Michel, noting that "the majority of Ukrainian transmissions depend on it".

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

“I got fire all around me ... I got fire all around me,” he could be heard saying over emergency radio transmissions before his colleagues carried him to safety.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

Radio transmissions show trouble with communications between the air traffic controller and the pilot, the Boston Globe reported, based on transmissions provided by LiveATC.net.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

To measure how significant this broadening could be, the researchers turned to a source of data much closer to home: radio transmissions from spacecraft operating within our solar system.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 16, 2026

The men who’d heard the Corona’s radio transmissions had gone somewhere else the next day.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson

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Related Words

• broadcast
• communication
• delivery
• gearbox

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