convey
Americanverb (used with object)
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conveys,
present (3rd person singular)
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conveyed,
past participle, past
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conveying
present participle
verb
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to take, carry, or transport from one place to another
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to communicate (a message, information, etc)
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(of a channel, path, etc) to conduct, transmit, or transfer
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law to transmit or transfer (the title to property)
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archaic to steal
Synonym Usage
See carry.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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conveysimple
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conveyssimple
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have conveyedperfect
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has conveyedperfect
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am conveyingprogressive
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are conveyingprogressive
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is conveyingprogressive
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have been conveyingperfect progressive
-
has been conveyingperfect progressive
Past
-
conveyedsimple
-
had conveyedperfect
-
was conveyingprogressive
-
were conveyingprogressive
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had been conveyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of convey
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English conveyen, from Anglo-French conveier, from unattested Vulgar Latin conviāre, equivalent to con- “with, together, completely” + -viāre, derivative of via “way”; see con- ( def. ), via ( def. )
Explanation
When you convey something, you carry or deliver it. Little Red Riding Hood conveyed a basket of muffins to her grandmother. Your sad smile might convey more about your feelings than words ever could. You can also convey a message or information, which means that you communicate it to someone directly or indirectly through your words or actions. In law, the word convey means to transfer or pass property to someone. This verb is from Middle English conveyen, from Old French conveier, ultimately from the Latin prefix com-, "together," plus via, "way."
Vocabulary lists containing convey
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 2
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The Language of Standardized Tests, List 2
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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:
A firm one could force him to demonstrate with action what he struggled last month to convey in words.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
They could even convey the rules they had discovered through gestures or sketches.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026
Despite the project’s stagnation, she continues to convey optimism.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
"It's impossible to convey the full impact Rhys' death had on us," she said, adding there was a "massive hole left in our lives by his unnecessary death".
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
In art, as in language, we are above all inventors of symbols that convey complex thoughts in new ways.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
As I see it, Kiki’s willingness to help others conveys a more important teaching about interdependence as an integral part of independence.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
It’s a rollicking scene-setter that conveys everything that works on the record as well as a few elements that don’t.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
What do you hope the film conveys to viewers?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
The "Country Roads" appeal lies in the way it conveys "a kinder, simpler era with less conflict and division," said Doug Hartmann, a sociology professor at the University of Minnesota.
From Barron's ● Jul. 5, 2026
But Diderot’s peculiar chapter also serves as a warning: with its dream framing, its monsters and its allegories, its linguistic slipperiness, it conveys a sense of difficulty.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
As an introduction to this band, they couldn’t have chosen a better song; it precisely conveyed exactly who the band was and what they were about.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026
On Wednesday, Axios reported, citing an unnamed US official, that Trump had met with Saudi defence minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, who had conveyed that Saudi Arabia wants to de-escalate tensions.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
As the bond between the two men grows and Henry works the land beside Carlos, their evolving relationship is potently conveyed through the music Quijada and Robinson make together.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
When Roosevelt grew delirious from malaria and a leg infection and demanded to be left behind, his comrades conveyed him to safety.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
He found a young good-looking man, almost delicate, who conveyed an air of confidence and prosperity.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
It is the same message officials across the country have been conveying in British Columbia, where around 115 fires are currently burning.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
Contact with the Jewish community in recent months has become very limited, Kermanian said, with Iranian Jews needing to be careful about conveying even the most trivial information to the outside world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Greenspan exhibited a deft touch with financial markets, saying the barest minimum in his statements but seemingly always conveying what traders wanted to hear.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026
Nearly half a century later, the day remains fresh in his mind and he relishes conveying it in all of its detail.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
After she realizes the people in the class know—Babs and Marjorie have a way of conveying their knowledge—Susie becomes bolder.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
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.
