transportation

American  

[trans-per-tey-shuhn] / ˌtræns pərˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of transporting.

2. the state of being transported. transported.

3. the means of transport or conveyance.

4. the business of conveying people, goods, etc.

5. price of travel or transport by public conveyance; fare.

6. tickets or permits for transport or travel.

7. banishment, as of a criminal to a penal colony; deportation.

8. Also called Transportation Department.  (initial capital letter) the Department of Transportation.

---

transportation British  

/ ˌtrænspɔːˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. a means or system of transporting

2. the act of transporting or the state of being transported

3. (esp formerly) deportation to a penal colony

4. a ticket or fare

---

Other Word Forms

• nontransportation noun
• pretransportation noun

Etymology

Origin of transportation

First recorded in 1530–40; transport + -ation

Example Sentences

Tech was the hardest hit, though transportation and healthcare also posted historically elevated first-quarter totals.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Hatzola is a large non-profit, Jewish-led organisation that provides a free emergency medical response and transportation, regardless of faith, to hospitals by volunteer medics.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

The extra cents you pay at the pump are used to fund roads and other transportation infrastructure, making them a perfect example of user-pays excise taxes.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

The 50 percent reduction will apply from April 1 to May 31 on all domestic routes and for all classes, public rail operator LTG announced in a joint statement with the transportation ministry.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

He’d never taken public transportation on his own and he didn’t have enough money to buy more than one meal.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

Related Words

• shipment
• shipping
• transit
• transport