intermodal

American  

[in-ter-mohd-l] / ˌɪn tərˈmoʊd l /

adjective

Transportation.

1. pertaining to or suitable for transportation involving more than one form of carrier, as truck and rail, or truck, ship, and rail.

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intermodal British  

/ ˌɪntəˈməʊdəl /

adjective

1. (of a transport system) using different modes of conveyance in conjunction, such as ships, aircraft, road vehicles, etc

2. (of a container) able to be carried by different modes of conveyance without being unpacked

3. psychol denoting an interaction between different senses

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Other Word Forms

• intermodalism noun

Etymology

Origin of intermodal

First recorded in 1960–65; inter- + modal

Example Sentences

At the same time, intermodal traffic in Canada continues to increase, with shipments originating in Canada up an eighth straight month to the second-highest volume on record for the month.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025

Hunt, the intermodal business is seven to eight times larger than the truckload business.

From Barron's • Oct. 16, 2025

“The loose intermodal analogies — for example, ‘Red is like the sound of a trumpet’ — which crop up in discussions of this subject are of little use.

From Salon • Nov. 16, 2024

“It’s going to cause a lot of chaos,” said Paul Brashier, vice president for drayage and intermodal at ITS Logistics.

From New York Times • Mar. 26, 2024

Around noon, an explosion occurred inside an intermodal container on a railcar at Union Pacific’s Bailey Yard in North Platte, though it wasn’t clear what caused the explosion, railroad spokeswoman Robynn Tysver said.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 14, 2023