Synonyms

communicate

American

[kuh-myoo-ni-kayt] / kəˈmju nɪˌkeɪt /

verb (used with object)

to impart knowledge of; make known.

to communicate information;
to communicate one's happiness.

Synonyms:

reveal, disclose, announce, divulge

Antonyms:

conceal, withhold
to give to another; impart; transmit.

to communicate a disease.
to administer the Eucharist to.
Archaic. to share in or partake of.

verb (used without object)

to give or interchange thoughts, feelings, information, or the like, by writing, speaking, etc..

They communicate with each other every day.
to express thoughts, feelings, or information easily or effectively.
to be joined or connected.

The rooms communicated by means of a hallway.
to partake of the Eucharist.
Obsolete. to take part or participate.

communicate British

/ kəˈmjuːnɪˌkeɪt /

verb

to impart (knowledge) or exchange (thoughts, feelings, or ideas) by speech, writing, gestures, etc
to allow (a feeling, emotion, etc) to be sensed (by), willingly or unwillingly; transmit (to)

the dog communicated his fear to the other animals
(intr) to have a sympathetic mutual understanding
to make or have a connecting passage or route; connect
(tr) to transmit (a disease); infect
(intr) Christianity to receive or administer Communion

"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

Synonym Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of communicate

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin commūnicātus “imparted,” past participle of commūnicāre “to impart, make common,” equivalent to commūn(is) common + -icāre, verb suffix

Explanation

To communicate is to exchange words, feelings, or information with others. They did communicate through texting and picture sharing, but the hug he gave his mom when he came home from college communicated more love than any instant message. There are countless ways to communicate! Using an exclamation point in the first sentence is a way to communicate excitement at the many ways to use communicate. A facial expression can communicate joy or anger, and something written can communicate ideas and instructions. Cave men learned to communicate by drawing on cave walls, and people in modern times communicate electronically. Up close or far away, humans and animals — and some would say extraterrestrials, too — are born to communicate.

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Vocabulary lists containing communicate

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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.

See Examples For:

communicate communicates communicated communicating

“I’m really interested in not what it looks like to communicate with technology, but what it feels like,” Schatz said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

Even when everyone speaks the same language, patients and doctors struggle to communicate about symptoms, treatment options, and risks.

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026

High-speed internet via Starlink satellites is used by the Ukrainian military to guide drones and communicate with the front line.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

Ukrainian forces began using the cheap, compact satellite terminals soon after Russia’s 2022 invasion to securely communicate with commanders and other units.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

Captain Smith begins speaking strange words and using hand motions to communicate.

From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone

And as an external panel appointed by Warsh begins considering the best path forward, at least one area is ripe for change — the way the Fed communicates about the economic outlook.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

In a 2024 study published in Cell Metabolism, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine identified a different group of hypothalamic neurons that communicates with fat tissue.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

The latest model fell short in terms of "staying within scope and authorisation, and how it communicates back to the user about the type of work it's done," Jain said.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

It is debating whether interest rates are too low with inflation above target, and Warsh is remaking how it communicates with markets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

Passed in 1917, this law states that anyone who “willfully communicates or transmits” documents related to national defense to others who are not authorized to see them can be fined and/or sent to prison.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

The robots arrived accompanied by Ted Pinkerton, a founding engineer at Tau, who communicated with Bolo and Sergey’s human operators through a Bluetooth earpiece.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

Had Washington not adequately communicated the scenario to its quarterback?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

The researchers classified participants with depression into five groups based on how strongly different brain areas communicated and the frequencies at which their activity was coordinated.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 9, 2026

New manager Jose Mourinho communicated his footballing idea clearly and what he wanted from Rodri personally, and that approach appealed to him.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

Appreciative eyes that communicated some complicity she was excluded from.

From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison

These individuals spent four to five hours or more on their phones each day, largely consuming online content rather than communicating directly with other people.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

“Actively communicating, engaging with all of our constituents is something that all HBCUs are doing,” Hudson said, “and we are also making the tough decisions.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026

"I think you’ll see it used when it has to be used, i.e. when you’re communicating with the administration," he said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

The investigators say Vorcaro asked the person with whom he was communicating for help avoiding arrest.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

They have a way of communicating that doesn’t need words: a look, a gesture, a poke—mostly from Safaa to Amin.

From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023