transportation
Americannoun
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the act of transporting.
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the state of being transported. 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
- nontransportation noun
- pretransportation noun
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.
The strait is an important transportation point for 20% of the world’s oil and large amounts of liquefied natural gas, chemicals, and other products.
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
Food prices were unchanged from February to March, but analysts said those may rise in the months ahead, as the impact of higher transportation and fertiliser costs starts to be felt.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
Last month, the Postal Service announced its first fuel and transportation surcharge on packages, slated to take effect on April 26.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
The rising prices of ground and air transportation will eventually be paid for by consumers.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
There at another desk I was handed a railway pass entitling me to transportation through Germany to the Dutch border.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
