transportation
Americannoun
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transportations
plural
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the act of transporting.
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the state of being transported.
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the means of transport or conveyance.
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the business of conveying people, goods, etc.
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price of travel or transport by public conveyance; fare.
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tickets or permits for transport or travel.
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banishment, as of a criminal to a penal colony; deportation.
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Also called Transportation Department. (initial capital letter) the Department of Transportation.
noun
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a means or system of transporting
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the act of transporting or the state of being transported
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(esp formerly) deportation to a penal colony
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a ticket or fare
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of transportation
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.
Vocabulary lists containing transportation
The United States
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Africa - Introductory
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Canada - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Bass said Thursday that transportation officials are proposing different designs for Forest Lawn Drive that will be “more appropriate for the area.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
"It used to be a barren mountain, but since the area has developed, transportation has become more convenient, trade has picked up, business opportunities have emerged," local shopkeeper Shu Peihua said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
As you look for a place in Florida, consider not just the purchase price, but also the monthly charges, transportation options, insurance needs and possible emergency costs.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
Yes, yes it does—but in every category by which you might evaluate a mode of transportation, the people mover comes up short.
From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026
Mama was in no shape for public transportation, and I felt rather shaky myself.
From "The Rock and the River" by Kekla Magoon
The government approved the measure after pressure from business and transportations groups and non-governmental organizations, which claim extortion has increased.
From Reuters ● Feb. 21, 2023
The group, which has not rolled out its proposal, is expected to focus on core infrastructure programs, such as transportations systems, at the expense of social spending.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 8, 2021
During their first meeting, the team called out the possible transportations options it might see: electric bikes, mo-peds and scooters, and then hoverboards, Segways and even unicycles.
From New York Times ● Aug. 2, 2018
“Right now this thing is so big, that sometimes it blocks the entire Mississippi River, and when that happens, my phone rings off the hook with transportations companies calling,” Cross said.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 21, 2015
It is small, but well filled, and undoubtedly contains some ancient and curious volumes: but several hiatuses gave indication that there had been a few transportations to Vienna or Munich.
From A Bibliographical, Antiquarian and Picturesque Tour in France and Germany, Volume Three by Thomas Frognall Dibdin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
