communication

[ kuh-myoo-ni-key-shuh n ]

/ kəˌmyu nɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR communication ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act or process of communicating; fact of being communicated.

the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs.

something imparted, interchanged, or transmitted.

a document or message imparting news, views, information, etc.

passage, or an opportunity or means of passage, between places.

communications,

means of sending messages, orders, etc., including telephone, telegraph, radio, and television.
routes and transportation for moving troops and supplies from a base to an area of operations.

Biology.

activity by one organism that changes or has the potential to change the behavior of other organisms.
transfer of information from one cell or molecule to another, as by chemical or electrical signals.

Nearby words

Origin of communication

1375–1425; Middle English communicacioun < Middle French < Latin commūnicātiōn- (stem of commūnicātiō), equivalent to commūnicāt(us) (see communicate) + -iōn- -ion

Related forms

com·mu·ni·ca·tion·al, adjectivenon·com·mu·ni·ca·tion, nouno·ver·com·mu·ni·ca·tion, nounpre·com·mu·ni·ca·tion, noun

self-com·mu·ni·ca·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for communication

It would seek to cut off the main Allied lines of supply and communication.
Hitler’s Hail Mary|James A. Warren|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Still, the lack of communication with the tribes does not bode well for the future relationships.
Tribes to U.S. Government: Take Your Weed and Shove It|Abby Haglage|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Coltrane had another power, a power of self-regeneration that also has to do with that power of communication.
The Stacks: John Coltrane’s Mighty Musical Quest|Nat Hentoff|October 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Advances in communication and social media have changed the way we interact with each other in a number of different ways.
Sexting Is the New ‘First Base’|Russell Saunders|October 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Internet availability was “intermittent” and other forms of communication scarce.
$10,000 a Month for Ebola Fighters|Abby Haglage|October 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"I ain't got no time to read letters now," announced Elias Lacy, as he thrust the communication into his pocket.
The Rover Boys at Colby Hall|Arthur M. Winfield
This communication from the Secretary is far from being satisfactory to me.
The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government, Vol. 1 (of 2)|Jefferson Davis
Some communication passed between them, but no action was taken and the matter seemed to have lapsed.
The Story of Paris|Thomas Okey
To this communication the Allied Governments made no official reply.
The Story of the Great War, Volume VII (of VIII)|Various
Venetian nobles were forbidden under penalty of death from holding any communication with foreign ambassadors or their households.
The Memoires of Casanova, Complete|Jacques Casanova de Seingalt

British Dictionary definitions for communication

communication

/ (kəˌmjuːnɪˈkeɪʃən) /

noun

the act or an instance of communicating; the imparting or exchange of information, ideas, or feelings

something communicated, such as a message, letter, or telephone call

(usually plural; sometimes functioning as singular)the study of ways in which human beings communicate, including speech, gesture, telecommunication systems, publishing and broadcasting media, etc
(as modifier)communication theory

a connecting route, passage, or link

(plural) military the system of routes and facilities by which forces, supplies, etc, are moved up to or within an area of operations

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 communication

communication

late 14c., from Old French comunicacion (14c., Modern French communication), from Latin communicationem (nominative communicatio), noun of action from past participle stem of communicare "to share, divide out; communicate, impart, inform; join, unite, participate in," literally "to make common," from communis (see common (adj.)).

Medicine definitions for communication

communication

[ kə-myōō′nĭ-kā′shən ]

n.

The exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, signals, writing, or behavior.

An opening or a connecting passage between two structures.

A joining or connecting of solid fibrous structures, such as tendons and nerves.

communication

noun

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Origin of communication

Examples from the Web for communication

communication

noun

communication

communication

n.