communicate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to impart knowledge of; make known.
to communicate information;
to communicate one's happiness.
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to give to another; impart; transmit.
to communicate a disease.
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to administer the Eucharist to.
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Archaic. to share in or partake of.
verb (used without object)
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to give or interchange thoughts, feelings, information, or the like, by writing, speaking, etc..
They communicate with each other every day.
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to express thoughts, feelings, or information easily or effectively.
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to be joined or connected.
The rooms communicated by means of a hallway.
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to partake of the Eucharist.
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Obsolete. to take part or participate.
verb
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to impart (knowledge) or exchange (thoughts, feelings, or ideas) by speech, writing, gestures, etc
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to allow (a feeling, emotion, etc) to be sensed (by), willingly or unwillingly; transmit (to)
the dog communicated his fear to the other animals
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(intr) to have a sympathetic mutual understanding
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to make or have a connecting passage or route; connect
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(tr) to transmit (a disease); infect
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(intr) Christianity to receive or administer Communion
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
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communicatornoun
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overcommunicateverb
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precommunicateverb
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communicatoryadjective
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noncommunicatingadjective
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uncommunicatingadjective
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well-communicatedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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communicatesimple
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communicatessimple
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have communicatedperfect
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has communicatedperfect
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am communicatingprogressive
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are communicatingprogressive
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is communicatingprogressive
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have been communicatingperfect progressive
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has been communicatingperfect progressive
Past
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communicatedsimple
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had communicatedperfect
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was communicatingprogressive
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were communicatingprogressive
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had been communicatingperfect progressive
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.
Vocabulary lists containing communicate
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
STAAR Grade 7 Reading: The Language of the Test, List 1
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UCPS 6th Grade Roots List #1
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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:
They communicate the respect that matters on the pitch but may be optional off it.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
These lenders “have a responsibility to be responsive, communicate clearly, and guarantee that the rebuilding process is not slowed by unnecessary administrative barriers,” Harabedian said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
My brother and I never discussed what would happen after he died, and he is no longer able to think clearly or communicate his wishes.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Meghan is interested in how Meta is shaping the way we think, communicate and understand each other, and how that might change in the AI era.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Professionals perform effectively in teams and communicate effectively to individuals and groups through various means.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Serotonin communicates by attaching to receptors on a cell's surface.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
Warsh, who has outlined plans for five task forces to review how the Fed operates and communicates, said he took “incredible comfort” from his colleagues’ willingness to “go back to first principles.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
He hasn't done himself any favours with the way he communicates in public – easily irritable and brash.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
The manufacturer, who communicates on encrypted messaging boards such as Telegram and Signal, charges $290 for 10 vials of compounded tirzepatide, which will last Awadalla about a year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 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
"Our performance skills in thousands of domains cannot be communicated to machines," he explains.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026
“After the Altus Power solar array at the Los Palos warehouse caught fire in 2024, we communicated with city agencies about the safety of the solar array,” the statement said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Bezos also said he didn’t regret blocking the presidential endorsement at the Post and would do it again, but should have announced his decision sooner and communicated better, the people said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
Her mother had not communicated with Chapman’s brother about this very effectively — which was not a new pattern of behavior, but a problem dating back to childhood that Chapman digs into in her book.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
He didn’t lower his sunglasses, but his mouth, his flared nostrils, and the tilt of his head communicated defiance and even hate.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Mr. Tremblay does an excellent job communicating the minutiae of steering Bernie; each new situation is a physical puzzle Julia has to solve.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
On Friday, Ohtani handed back over pitch-calling duties, communicating with head shakes and nods instead of the PitchCom buttons on his arm.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026
When communicating with him, keep it calm and firm, and make sure everything is in writing.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
The Fed can influence economic conditions in three ways: by adjusting the target range for the federal-funds rate, making changes to its balance sheet, and communicating expectations about inflation and future policy moves.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
He saw, too, how Olanna sometimes blinked at Odenigbo, communicating things he would never know.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
