transportation
Americannoun
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the act of transporting.
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the state of being transported. 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
- nontransportation noun
- pretransportation noun
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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Canada - 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 strait is an important transportation point for 20% of the world’s oil and large amounts of liquefied natural gas, chemicals, and other products.
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
The cost of transportation services, which is affected by fuel costs, rose 4.1% from a year earlier in March, a much faster increase than in February.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
Workers are also being urged to switch to fans and to take public transportation to cut the use of fuel.
From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026
Brown allegedly fled on foot and is known to use Los Angeles County public transportation, according to the release.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
I saw roads choked with dilapidated cars, motorcycle rickshaws, and battered minibuses that served as public transportation.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
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.
