transportation

American  

[trans-per-tey-shuhn] / ˌtræns pərˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of transporting.

2. the state of being transported.

3. the means of transport or conveyance.

4. the business of conveying people, goods, etc.

5. price of travel or transport by public conveyance; fare.

6. tickets or permits for transport or travel.

7. banishment, as of a criminal to a penal colony; deportation.

8. Also called Transportation Department.  (initial capital letter) the Department of Transportation.

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transportation British  

/ ˌtrænspɔːˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. a means or system of transporting

2. the act of transporting or the state of being transported

3. (esp formerly) deportation to a penal colony

4. a ticket or fare

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Other Word Forms

• nontransportation noun
• pretransportation noun

Etymology

Origin of transportation

First recorded in 1530–40; transport + -ation

Explanation

If you spend $60 a month on subway fare, then your monthly transportation cost is $60, meaning it costs you $60 each month to get from one place to another. The noun transportation often is used to describe the process of moving things. You might make transportation arrangements, for example, for shipping a pet across the country. Transportation can also refer to a formal system for moving things from place to place, like a public transportation system like the subway or public bus or a transportation company that specializes in moving goods from coast to coast.

Example Sentences

But even excluding transportation equipment, durable-goods orders were up by 0.9% last month.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

One program in New York City was the subject of a study co-authored by Jingqin Gao, assistant director of research at the C2SMART Center, which studies urban transportation at New York University.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026

Jet fuel is a complex product because of its transportation, segregation and storage requirements, and the dire consequences of a potential airplane-engine malfunction.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026

Most are currently absorbing the costs themselves, but further increases - for example, in food production and transportation - are likely to be passed on to consumers over time.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

Dante kept telling the story about the man on the bus and the aliens in Roswell and how some had escaped to El Paso and were planning on taking over the transportation system.

From "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Related Words

• shipment
• shipping
• transit
• transport