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definitions

communicate

[kuh-myoo-ni-keyt]
See more synonyms for communicate on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object), com·mu·ni·cat·ed, com·mu·ni·cat·ing.
  1. to impart knowledge of; make known: to communicate information; to communicate one's happiness.
  2. to give to another; impart; transmit: to communicate a disease.
  3. to administer the Eucharist to.
  4. Archaic. to share in or partake of.
verb (used without object), com·mu·ni·cat·ed, com·mu·ni·cat·ing.
  1. to give or interchange thoughts, feelings, information, or the like, by writing, speaking, etc.: They communicate with each other every day.
  2. to express thoughts, feelings, or information easily or effectively.
  3. to be joined or connected: The rooms communicated by means of a hallway.
  4. to partake of the Eucharist.
  5. Obsolete. to take part or participate.

Origin of communicate

1520–30; < Latin commūnicātus, past participle of commūnicāre to impart, make common, equivalent to commūn(is) common + -icāre v. suffix
Related formsnon·com·mu·ni·cat·ing, adjectiveo·ver·com·mu·ni·cate, verb, o·ver·com·mu·ni·cat·ed, o·ver·com·mu·ni·cat·ing.pre·com·mu·ni·cate, verb, pre·com·mu·ni·cat·ed, pre·com·mu·ni·cat·ing.un·com·mu·ni·cat·ing, adjectivewell-com·mu·ni·cat·ed, adjective

Synonyms for communicate

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1. divulge, announce, disclose, reveal.

Synonym study

1. Communicate, impart denote giving to a person or thing a part or share of something, now usually something immaterial, as knowledge, thoughts, hopes, qualities, or properties. Communicate, the more common word, implies often an indirect or gradual transmission: to communicate information by means of letters, telegrams, etc.; to communicate one's wishes to someone else. Impart usually implies directness of action: to impart information.

Antonyms for communicate

1. withhold, conceal.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for communicate

relate, connect, convey, advertise, disseminate, transfer, interact, write, impart, transmit, tell, disclose, broadcast, reveal, correspond, inform, contact, suggest, publicize, confer

Examples from the Web for communicate

Contemporary Examples of communicate

Historical Examples of communicate

  • She must communicate the dread defiling fact with her own lips!

    Weighed and Wanting

    George MacDonald

  • What she saw clear as day it could not be hard to communicate to one who loved as he loved!

    Weighed and Wanting

    George MacDonald

  • Not hearing from you, we shall try to communicate this news in some other way.

    It Happened in Egypt

    C. N. Williamson

  • He says they would not want to communicate with us if they had such trivial things to say.'

    Echoes of the War

    J. M. Barrie

  • But monsieur I have nothing to communicate to you concerning the disappearance of your friends.

British Dictionary definitions for communicate

communicate

verb
  1. to impart (knowledge) or exchange (thoughts, feelings, or ideas) by speech, writing, gestures, etc
  2. (tr usually foll by to) to allow (a feeling, emotion, etc) to be sensed (by), willingly or unwillingly; transmit (to)the dog communicated his fear to the other animals
  3. (intr) to have a sympathetic mutual understanding
  4. (intr usually foll by with) to make or have a connecting passage or route; connect
  5. (tr) to transmit (a disease); infect
  6. (intr) Christianity to receive or administer Communion
Derived Formscommunicator, nouncommunicatory, adjective

Word Origin for communicate

C16: from Latin commūnicāre to share, from commūnis common
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for communicate
v.

1520s, "to impart" (information, etc.), from Latin communicatus, past participle of communicare "impart, inform" (see communication). Meaning "to share, transmit" (diseases, etc.) is from 1530s. Related: Communicated; communicating.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper