conveyance

American  

[kuhn-vey-uhns] / kənˈveɪ əns /

noun

1. the act of conveying; transmission; communication.

2. a means of transporting, especially a vehicle, as a bus, airplane, or automobile.

3. Law.

   1. the transfer of property from one person to another.

   2. the instrument or document by which this is effected.

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conveyance British  

/ kənˈveɪəns /

noun

1. the act of conveying

2. a means of transport

3. law

   1. a transfer of the legal title to property

   2. the document effecting such a transfer

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Other Word Forms

• conveyancer
  noun
• nonconveyance
  noun
• preconveyance
  noun

Etymology

Origin of conveyance

First recorded in 1495–1505; convey + -ance

Explanation

Conveyance is a formal word that can mean either the transportation of something from one place to another, or the vehicle that does the transporting. Conveyance is a rather archaic — or old-fashioned — way to describe a mode of transportation. It's easy to imagine someone in the 1800s asking for a horse and carriage as their conveyance to a friend's house. Today, we'd skip the formalities and simply jump in the car and drive there ourselves. In its less common usage, a conveyance is a legal document that transfers ownership of a property from one person to another.

Example Sentences

Supporters of the plan, called the Delta Conveyance Project, say the state urgently needs to build new infrastructure in the Delta to protect the water supply in the face of climate change and earthquake risks.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2025

In preparing the updated cost estimate, the Delta Conveyance Design and Construction Authority examined potential “design and construction innovations” that could reduce the overall costs by about $1.2 billion.

From Los Angeles Times • May 16, 2024

She said that’s one of the reasons Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed building the Delta Conveyance Project, a 45-mile tunnel that would transport Sacramento River water beneath the delta and create a second delivery route.

From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2024

Newsom has called the Delta Conveyance Project a central piece of his administration’s strategy for making the state’s water-delivery system more resilient to the effects of climate change.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2024

Mr. MacMahon began to dictate a Deed of Conveyance from a precedent deed in his hand.

From Here are Ladies by Stephens, James