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Which word shares a Latin root with communication?

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communication

American  

[kuh-myoo-ni-key-shuhn] / kəˌmju nɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

• communications
  plural

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

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

3. something imparted, interchanged, or transmitted.

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

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

6. communications,

   1. means of sending messages, orders, etc., including telephone, telegraph, radio, and television.

   2. routes and transportation for moving troops and supplies from a base to an area of operations.

7. Biology.

   1. activity by one organism that changes or has the potential to change the behavior of other organisms.

   2. transfer of information from one cell or molecule to another, as by chemical or electrical signals.

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communication British  

/ kəˌmjuːnɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

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

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

3. 1. (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

   2. ( as modifier )

      communication theory

4. a connecting route, passage, or link

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• noncommunication
  noun
• overcommunication
  noun
• precommunication
  noun
• self-communication
  noun
• communicational
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• communications
  plural

Etymology

Origin of communication

First recorded in 1375–1425; Middle English communicacioun, from Middle French, from Latin commūnicātiōn-, stem of commūnicātiō, equivalent to commūnicāt(us) ( see communicate) + -iō -ion

Explanation

Good communication is at the heart of good relationships. Communication is the process of giving information or ideas to someone, as by using words, actions, or sounds. In the plural form, communications has a few specialized meanings: a field of study, a profession, or a system involving the sending of information to people by the use of technology such as radio or satellite. In these senses, communications can be used with a singular or plural verb. The noun communication is from Latin communicare "to share, participate" (from communis "common") plus the suffix –ion "an act or process."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

communication communications

Investors are starved for information in a new world of “terse” communication from the central bank.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Botha says autistic people are united by key features: sensory sensitivity, a need for predictability, intense interests and struggles with communication.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Wang said Friday it was crucial for Beijing and Jakarta to "increase strategic communication, to deepen strategic coordination" as important representatives of the Global South.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

Still, as I shuffled papers, I became part of the buffering, incomplete chain of communication.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

I didn’t know how much time I had, how long Grandma would wait before finally telling my parents about my communication with Marcus.

From "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" by Janae Marks

Test your knowledge of the week’s big stories and see how your score stacks up against Slate’s VP of brand and communications, Katie Rayford.

From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026

However, on July 28 the company said the spacecraft had been in an out-of-control spin for 72 hours with multiple problems including a loss of communications.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

After leaving the station, he worked as the communications director for the New England Whalers but was later fired from the role in 1978.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

They say communications tasks that take about 4,000 nanoseconds for an Nvidia Blackwell processor to perform can be done by Etched’s chips in 700 nanoseconds, thanks to the chip’s architecture and custom interconnections.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

To her voluntary communications Emma could get no more approving reply, than,

From "Emma" by Jane Austen

Related Words

• connection
• contact
• conversation
• delivery
• intelligence
• link
• transmission