communication

American  

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

noun

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.

---

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

---

Other Word Forms

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

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) ( communicate ) + -iō -ion

Example Sentences

And these worlds aren’t even real, just ones and zeros merged to form a network of communication that sometimes feels like incoherent gibberish.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

There will be a period of around 40 minutes during the flyby where all communication with Artemis 2 will be cut off as the astronauts pass behind the Moon.

From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026

As the astronauts pass behind the Moon at about 23:47 BST on Monday, the radio and laser signals that allow the back-and-forth communication between the spacecraft and Earth will be blocked by the Moon itself.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

After a certain point, however, teams become unwieldy, and it becomes harder to organize the team and manage communication.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

Then there is more testing of our communication link.

From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga

Related Words

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