transmission

American  

[trans-mish-uhn, tranz-] / trænsˈmɪʃ ən, trænz- /

noun

• transmissions
  plural

1. the act or process of transmitting.

   Synonyms:

   conveyance, passing, passage, transfer

2. the fact of being transmitted.

   Synonyms:

   conveyance, passing, passage, transfer

3. something that is transmitted.

4. Machinery.

   1. transference of force between machines or mechanisms, often with changes of torque and speed.

   2. a compact, enclosed unit of gears or the like for this purpose, as in an automobile.

5. Radio and Television. the broadcasting of electromagnetic waves from one location to another, as from a transmitter to a receiver.

6. Physics. transmittance.

---

transmission British  

/ trænzˈmɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of transmitting

2. something that is transmitted

3. the extent to which a body or medium transmits light, sound, or some other form of energy

4. the transference of motive force or power

5. a system of shafts, gears, torque converters, etc, that transmits power, esp the arrangement of such parts that transmits the power of the engine to the driving wheels of a motor vehicle

6. the act or process of sending a message, picture, or other information from one location to one or more other locations by means of radio waves, electrical signals, light signals, etc

7. a radio or television broadcast

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nontransmission
  noun
• pretransmission
  noun
• retransmission
  noun
• transmissibility
  noun
• transmissiveness
  noun
• transmissible
  adjective
• transmissive
  adjective
• untransmissive
  adjective
• transmissively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• transmissions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of transmission

1605–15; < Latin trānsmissiōn- (stem of trānsmissiō ) a sending across, equivalent to trānsmiss ( us ) (past participle of trānsmittere to send across) + -iōn- -ion. See trans-, mission

Explanation

Transmission is the act of transferring something from one spot to another, like a radio or TV broadcast, or a disease going from one person to another. The noun transmission comes from the Latin word transmissio, which means “sending over or across, passage.” The transmission of a message is the delivery of the message. Transmission can also be a communication sent out by radio or television, while the transmission of a disease is the passing of that virus or bacteria between people. A vehicle’s transmission is the part of the engine that uses the energy created by the burning fuel to make the axle turn.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

transmission transmissions

Research in 2022 estimated that more than 14 percent of the global population has had the disease, warning that transmission rates could increase as climate change brings longer, drier summers.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

The FAA review said it wasn’t clear whether the garbled transmission on Aug. 4 was Marine One’s three-minute notification.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

"If congenital transmission can occur in non-venereal treponematoses, then we need to rethink how we interpret skeletal evidence in the past," Dr. Vlok explained.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026

In 2019, the Kincade fire in Sonoma County, which destroyed hundreds of homes, was ignited by an old, unused transmission line owned by PG&E.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

“Yes,” I said, and then realized I’d told him earlier it was the transmission.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

From then on, the question is no longer simply which chromosome survived, but in what kind of society these transmissions took place.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 7, 2026

MasTec is now a leading North American infrastructure and construction company, with 50% of its business from oil and natural-gas pipelines and 30% from high-voltage electric power transmissions, with just 25% from telecoms.

From MarketWatch ● May 13, 2026

Ford Motor’s latest Mustang GT uses six-speed manual transmissions from China.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026

While playing radio transmissions from that day, he asked jurors to pay close attention to the information coming over police radio.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2026

They were signed by the radioman’s assistant, a Seaman Philip Milholland—he’d transcribed the radio transmissions.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson

Related Words

• broadcast
• communication
• delivery
• gearbox