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
-
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
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were conveyingprogressive
-
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:
The prime minister also emphasized that he didn’t want Mr. Macron to convey any message from him to anyone.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Mostly, she’s taken by the material’s timeless theme, which dovetails with all she’s tried to convey on “Good Grief.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
In response, Reykjavic summoned the US ambassador "to convey a clear message that the image was wholly inappropriate," Iceland's foreign ministry said in a statement to AFP.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
Scent marks have to convey useful information even though their chemistry begins changing as soon as they are deposited.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
To compose a passage with this orderly structure, a writer must organize the content she hopes to convey into a neat hierarchy.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
When he turns, we turn, and the anguish that Garfield wordlessly conveys is our compass.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Wile E. Coyote conveys his hunger in a glower.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
A CeraVe TikTok touting a “looksmaxxing protocol” parodied “bone smashing” en route to advertising lotion, while Carl’s Jr. said its sandwich name conveys an “all-in mindset” in a culturally resonant way.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
She capably belts out the chorus yet never conveys the stakes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
I repeat this to myself but it conveys nothing.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
He specified in his statement the venues took issue with “how Macklemore conveyed part of his message,” but not “everything that was said.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
The vice-president led tributes as he conveyed his condolences to Samia, as well as Ameir's family and friends.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
"Every report regarding shortages of personnel, equipment, water, or other needs must be conveyed immediately so that solutions can be found."
From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026
Even so, it matters little what warnings Mr. Ratcliffe conveyed to the Kremlin.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
He invented, for example, a player organ: an organ which, like a player piano, automatically played music according to the information conveyed by pins on a turning drum.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
But sports were such a ubiquitous part of their lives that, naturally, they became a canvas for conveying those lessons.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
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
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
Children in the study looked at faces conveying different emotions onscreen, and eye-tracking technology recorded where their attention veered.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 17, 2026
“At present,” he said, “I am responsible for conveying my associates to a place called Chicago. I understand it is somewhere in the hinterland.”
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
