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

Trials of the Army's troubled Ajax armoured vehicles will resume "cautiously", with the defence minister acknowledging more work is needed to "rebuild confidence" in the transportation.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

“Oil is the clearest example because short-run demand is relatively inelastic: transportation still needs gasoline and diesel, airlines still need jet fuel, and petrochemical plans still need feedstock,” she said in a note Thursday.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 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

Penelope may have been in urgent need of transportation, but she was no fool.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• shipment
• shipping
• transit
• transport