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

The observations also established new limits on the strength of any possible radio transmitter located on or near 3I/ATLAS.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 23, 2026

The unit was on a training mission when it was redirected to assist in the search and rescue effort, after an emergency locator transmitter signal alerted the US Coast Guard about a potential distress situation.

From BBC ● May 14, 2026

For decades, proportional response functioned less as a strategy than a ritual: hit a transmitter, strike a barracks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 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

The transmitter then processes and translates those digitized, electronically coded words or data into equivalently coded light pulses.

From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman

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

Mr Taylor believes the decline started in the 1980s and was partly linked to improvements to TV transmitters.

From BBC ● Jan. 26, 2025

Some of our most powerful sources are radar transmitters; a few are used for radar astronomy, to probe with radio fingers the surfaces of the nearby planets.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan