transmitter

American  

[trans-mit-er, tranz-] / trænsˈmɪt ər, trænz- /

noun

• transmitters
  plural

1. a person or thing that transmits.

2. Also called transmitting set.  Radio. a device for sending electromagnetic waves; the part of a broadcasting apparatus that generates and modulates the radiofrequency current and conveys it to the antenna.

3. the part of a telephonic or telegraphic apparatus that converts sound waves or mechanical movements into corresponding electric waves or impulses.

4. Biochemistry. neurotransmitter.

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transmitter British  

/ trænzˈmɪtə /

noun

1. a person or thing that transmits

2. the equipment used for generating and amplifying a radio-frequency carrier, modulating the carrier with information, and feeding it to an aerial for transmission

3. the microphone in a telephone that converts sound waves into audio-frequency electrical signals

4. a device that converts mechanical movements into coded electrical signals transmitted along a telegraph circuit

5. physiol short for neurotransmitter

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transmitter Scientific  

/ trăns′mĭt-ər /

1. A device that converts sound, light, or electrical signals into radio, microwave, or other electrical signals of sufficient strength for the purpose of telecommunication.

2. Compare receiver

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• transmitters
  plural

Etymology

Origin of transmitter

First recorded in 1720–30; transmit + -er ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

transmitter transmitters

Wise said that it continues to operate normally under existing money transmitter licenses across 48 U.S. states and four territories.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

All one needs is "another radio transmitter that can broadcast on the same frequency, but louder," she said, which creates "a wall of mush."

From Barron's ● Mar. 8, 2026

One critical factor that influences how well QKD works is pointing error, which occurs when the transmitter and receiver are not perfectly aligned.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 17, 2026

We passed the camera and transmitter gear which had been set up to observe not only monkeys but black bears, boar and many other wild species in Shennongjia.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2025

He secured the pea-sized transmitter with a dab of silicone.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

This year, conditions including a record-smashing March heat wave led to a surge in California’s native Culex mosquitoes, the transmitters of West Nile virus.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

But Iran said in 2016 it was reviving the technology, which requires a network of large ground-based transmitters, though experts have not confirmed it is active today.

From Barron's ● Mar. 16, 2026

In January, FinCEN issued an order requiring banks and money transmitters in two Minnesota counties to file information about overseas transactions greater than $3,000, far lower than the normal $10,000 threshold for flagging cash transactions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 24, 2026

Current medical-grade BCIs typically rely on multiple separate microelectronic components, such as amplifiers, data converters, and radio transmitters.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 9, 2025

She knew that she would need to control large groups of people in order to stay secure, so she developed a way to do it with serums and transmitters.

From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth