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.

---

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

---

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

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

Airlines slowed hiring even before the global financial crisis, as they underwent restructurings and bankruptcies, says Brian Prentice, a partner in the transportation practice at Oliver Wyman.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

A change in transportation habits would start with lower-income individuals and families, said Ethan N. Elkind, director of the Climate Program at UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy and the Environment.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

Another major European car manufacturer, Renault, saw sales slide in the first due to transportation problems affecting its low-cost Dacia brand.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

Atlanta had public transportation in the form of bus and rail, which made getting to those jobs easy, and Clarkston had its own rail stop—at the end of the line.

From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John

Related Words

• shipment
• shipping
• transit
• transport