transportation
Americannoun
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the act of transporting.
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the state of being transported.
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the means of transport or conveyance.
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the business of conveying people, goods, etc.
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price of travel or transport by public conveyance; fare.
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tickets or permits for transport or travel.
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banishment, as of a criminal to a penal colony; deportation.
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Also called Transportation Department. (initial capital letter) the Department of Transportation.
noun
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a means or system of transporting
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the act of transporting or the state of being transported
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(esp formerly) deportation to a penal colony
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a ticket or fare
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of transportation
Explanation
If you spend $60 a month on subway fare, then your monthly transportation cost is $60, meaning it costs you $60 each month to get from one place to another. The noun transportation often is used to describe the process of moving things. You might make transportation arrangements, for example, for shipping a pet across the country. Transportation can also refer to a formal system for moving things from place to place, like a public transportation system like the subway or public bus or a transportation company that specializes in moving goods from coast to coast.
Vocabulary lists containing transportation
The United States
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Africa - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The captain questioned Brown’s handling of the takeoff and Brown responded in a way the captain alleged was threatening, according to National Transportation Safety Board documents.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026
In its negotiations, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority argued that the wage increases that Long Island Rail Road unions were asking for would lead to higher fares or increased borrowing.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
Transportation systems, workplaces, familial and social relationships, and government services increasingly assume continuous digital participation.
From Slate • May 20, 2026
The Transportation Department told NBC News that The Great American Road Trip Inc. is an independent organization, and that how and who they accept donations from is their decision.
From Salon • May 18, 2026
“The bowstring bridge at Delhi is next,” Joe Cassini said on a cellular phone to his boss at the Department of Transportation in Albany.
From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
