communication
Other forms: communications
Good communication is at the heart of good relationships. Communication is the process of giving information or ideas to someone, as by using words, actions, or sounds.
In the plural form, communications has a few specialized meanings: a field of study, a profession, or a system involving the sending of information to people by the use of technology such as radio or satellite. In these senses, communications can be used with a singular or plural verb. The noun communication is from Latin communicare "to share, participate" (from communis "common") plus the suffix –ion "an act or process."
Definitions of communication
-
the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information“they could not act without official communication from Moscow”synonyms: communicatingtypes:transmissioncommunication by means of transmitted signalsintercommunicationmutual communication; communication with each othermediuman intervening substance through which signals can travel as a means for communicationmail, mail service, post, postal servicethe system whereby messages are transmitted via the post officediscourse, discussion, treatmentan extended communication (often interactive) dealing with some particular topicexhortationa communication intended to urge or persuade the recipients to take some actionexpression, verbal expression, verbalismthe communication (in speech or writing) of your beliefs or opinionspersuasion, suasionthe act of persuading (or attempting to persuade); communication intended to induce belief or actiondissuasionpersuading not to do or believe something; talking someone out of a belief or an intended course of actionexpostulation, objection, remonstrance, remonstrationthe act of expressing earnest opposition or protesttrafficthe amount of activity over a communication system during a given period of timeairing, dissemination, public exposure, spreadingthe opening of a subject to widespread discussion and debateaether, ethera medium that was once supposed to fill all space and to support the propagation of electromagnetic wavesback channelan alternative to the regular channels of communication that is used when agreements must be made secretly (especially in diplomacy or government)lens(metaphor) a channel through which something can be seen or understoodchannelsofficial routes of communicationmass medium, mediuma technology that is used to to disseminate information or entertainment widely to the publicmultimedia, multimedia systemtransmissions that combine media of communication (text and graphics and sound etc.)snail mailany mail that is physically delivered by the postal serviceelectronic communicationcommunication by computerfiber optics, fiberoptics, fibre optics, fibreopticsthe transmission of light signals via glass fibersmodulation(electronics) the transmission of a signal by using it to vary a carrier wave; changing the carrier's amplitude or frequency or phasestagethe theater as a profession (usually `the stage')linepersuasive but insincere talk that is usually intended to deceive or impressdetailextended treatment of particularsdilationa lengthy discussion (spoken or written) on a particular topicconsiderationa discussion of a topic (as in a meeting)talkdiscussion; (`talk about' is a less formal alternative for `discussion of')cold turkeya blunt expression of viewscongratulation, felicitation(usually plural) an expression of pleasure at the success or good fortune of anotherbar exam, bar examinationan examination conducted at regular intervals to determine whether a candidate is qualified to practice law in a given jurisdictioncomp, comprehensive, comprehensive examinationan intensive examination testing a student's proficiency in some special field of knowledgeentrance exam, entrance examinationexamination to determine a candidate's preparation for a course of studieslitmus testa test that relies on a single indicatormidterm, midterm exam, midterm examinationan examination administered in the middle of an academic termprelim, preliminary exam, preliminary examinationan examination taken by graduate students to determine their fitness to continuequizan examination consisting of a few short questionstriposfinal honors degree examinations at Cambridge Universityarm-twistingpersuasion by the use of direct personal pressureproselytismthe practice of proselytizingsloganeeringpersuasion by means of empty slogansuplinka transmission from Earth to a spacecraft or the path of such a transmissioninterrogationa transmission that will trigger an answering transmission from a transponderappeal(rhetoric) a method or mode of persuasiontype of:
-
something that is communicated by or to or between people or groupstypes:publicationthe communication of something to the public; making information generally knownmessagea communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaledlanguage, linguistic communicationa systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbolsblack and white, written communication, written languagecommunication by means of written symbols (either printed or handwritten)didacticismcommunication that is suitable for or intended to be instructivesigna public display of a messagevisual communicationcommunication that relies on visiondisplayexhibiting openly in public viewexpressive style, stylea way of expressing something (in language or art or music etc.) that is characteristic of a particular person or group of people or periodparalanguage, paralinguistic communicationthe use of manner of speaking to communicate particular meaningsauditory communicationcommunication that relies on hearingphonation, vocalisation, vocalism, vocalization, voice, voxthe sound made by the vibration of vocal folds modified by the resonance of the vocal tractanomalous communication, psychic communication, psychical communicationcommunication by paranormal meansvoicesomething suggestive of speech in being a medium of expressiondocumenta written account of ownership or obligationmemean amusing image, text, or video that spreads rapidly through social mediagesturesomething done as an indication of intentionrecordinga signal that encodes something (e.g., picture or sound) that has been recordedbroadcastmessage that is transmitted by radio or televisionheliograma message transmitted by means of the sun's raysmailthe bags of letters and packages that are transported by the postal serviceradiograma message transmitted by wireless telegraphyvideo(computer science) the appearance of text and graphics on a video displayusagethe customary manner in which a language (or a form of a language) is spoken or writtendead languagea language that is no longer learned as a native languagewordslanguage that is spoken or writtensource languagea language that is to be translated into another languageobject language, target languagethe language into which a text written in another language is to be translatedtranscription, written textsomething written, especially copied from one medium to another, as a typewritten version of dictationwritingletters or symbols that are written or imprinted on a surface to represent the sounds or words of a languagepiece of writing, writing, written materialthe work of a writer; anything expressed in letters of the alphabet (especially when considered from the point of view of style and effect)writing(usually plural) the collected work of an authorprescriptionwritten instructions from a physician or dentist to a druggist concerning the form and dosage of a drug to be issued to a given patientprescriptionwritten instructions for an optician on the lenses for a given personallegoryan expressive style that uses fictional characters and events to describe some subject by suggestive resemblances; an extended metaphorbodythe central message of a communicationdedication, inscriptiona short message (as in a book or musical work or on a photograph) dedicating it to someone or somethingcorker(dated slang) a remarkable or excellent thing or personremindera message that helps you remember somethingpetition, postulation, requesta formal message requesting something that is submitted to an authoritymemoriala written statement of facts submitted in conjunction with a petition to an authoritylatent content(psychoanalysis) hidden meaning of a fantasy or dreamaside, digression, divagation, excursus, parenthesis, tangenta message that departs from the main subjectcorrespondencecommunication by the exchange of lettersrefusala message refusing to accept something that is offeredevidencean indication that makes something evidentcounsel, counseling, counselling, direction, guidancesomething that provides direction or advice as to a decision or course of actionprintthe text appearing in a book, newspaper, or other printed publicationdisapprovalthe expression of disapprovalrespects(often used with `pay') a formal expression of esteemstatementa message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etcstatementa nonverbal messagehumor, humour, wit, witticism, wittinessa message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughteropinion, viewa message expressing a belief about something; the expression of a belief that is held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proofstorm signala signal announcing the approach of a storm (particularly a storm of marked violence)beam, radio beama signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides airplane pilots in darkness or bad weatherticktacksystem of signalling by hand signs used by bookmakers at racetrackstime signala signal (especially electronic or by radio) indicating the precisely correct timestreet signa sign visible from the streetdog-eara corner of a page turned down to mark your placeanimal communicationcommunication between animals (of the same species)symptomanything that accompanies X and is regarded as an indication of X's existencepointing outindication by demonstrationmanifestationa manifest indication of the existence or presence or nature of some person or thingglimpsea vague indicationforerunner, harbinger, herald, precursor, predecessorsomething that precedes and indicates the approach of something or someonesmokean indication of some hidden activitydistress call, distress signalan internationally recognized signal sent out by a ship or plane indicating that help is neededall cleara signal (usually a siren) that danger is overbugle calla signal broadcast by the sound of a buglecurfewa signal (usually a bell) announcing the start of curfew restrictionsretreat(military) a signal to begin a withdrawal from a dangerous positiondrumbeat(military) the beating of a drum as a signal for lowering the flag at sundownhigh signa silent signal of warning or recognitionsymbolan arbitrary sign (written or printed) that has acquired a conventional significancesinging voicethe musical quality of the voice while singingvisual signala signal that involves visual communicationgesture, motionthe use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signalsbody languagecommunication via the movements or attitudes of the bodyeye contacta meeting of the eyes between two people that expresses meaningful nonverbal communicationprojectionthe projection of an image from a film onto a screenacting out(psychiatry) the display of previously inhibited emotions (often in actions rather than words); considered to be healthy and therapeuticarrayan impressive displaysightanything that is seenflauntthe act of displaying something ostentatiouslypresentationthe act of making something publicly available; presenting news or other information by broadcasting or printing itartificial languagea language that is deliberately created for a specific purposemetalanguagea language that can be used to describe languagesnative languagethe language that a person has spoken from earliest childhoodindigenous languagea language that originated in a specified place and was not brought to that place from elsewheresuperstrate, superstratumthe language of a later invading people that is imposed on an indigenous population and contributes features to their languagenatural language, tonguea human written or spoken language used by a community; opposed to e.g. a computer languageart, artwork, graphics, nontextual matterphotographs or other visual representations in a printed publicationgraphic designvisual communication by a skillful combination of text and pictures in advertisements, magazines, books, etc.charta visual image (diagram, illustration) representing data or informationgraph, graphical recorda visual representation of the relations between certain quantities plotted with reference to a set of axesmusican artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manneranalysisthe use of closed-class words instead of inflections: e.g., `the father of the bride' instead of `the bride's father'bathostriteness or triviality of styleblack humor, black humourthe juxtaposition of morbid and farcical elements (in writing or drama) to give a disturbing effectdevicesomething in an artistic work designed to achieve a particular effecteuphuismany artificially elegant style of languageflatnessa want of animation or brilliancegrandiloquence, grandiosity, magniloquence, ornateness, rhetorichigh-flown style; excessive use of verbal ornamentationheadlineseusing the abbreviated style of headline writersjargonspecialized technical terminology characteristic of a particular subjectjournalesethe style in which newspapers are writtenlegalesea style that uses the abstruse technical vocabulary of the lawdelivery, manner of speaking, speechyour characteristic style or manner of expressing yourself orallyofficialesethe style of writing characteristic of some government officials: formal and obscurepathosa style that has the power to evoke feelingsprosematter of fact, commonplace, or dull expressionrhetoricusing language effectively to please or persuadeself-expressionthe expression of one's individuality (usually through creative activities)barrage, bombardment, onslaught, outpouringthe rapid and continuous delivery of linguistic communication (spoken or written)sesquipedalityusing long wordstersenessa neatly short and concise expressive styleveina distinctive style or mannerpoetryany communication resembling poetry in beauty or the evocation of feelinglanguage, oral communication, speech, speech communication, spoken communication, spoken language, voice communication(language) communication by word of mouthproposalsomething proposed (such as a plan or assumption)entry, submissionsomething (manuscripts or architectural plans and models or estimates or works of art of all genres etc.) submitted for the judgment of others (as in a competition)narration, narrative, story, talea message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television programpackaging, promotion, promotional material, publicitya message issued in behalf of some product or cause or idea or person or institutionsensationalismsubject matter that is calculated to excite and please vulgar tastesshockera sensational message (in a film or play or novel)telepathy, thought transferenceapparent communication from one mind to another without using sensory perceptionstelegnosisapparent knowledge of distant events without using sensory perceptionsparapsychology, psychic phenomena, psychic phenomenonphenomena that appear to contradict physical laws and suggest the possibility of causation by mental processesindicatora signal for attracting attentionelectronic signala signal generated by electronic meansradio beacona characteristic signal emitted by a transmitter used for navigationpacket(computer science) a message or message fragmentslanguagelanguage characterized by excessive use of slang or cantvoice overthe voice on an unseen commentator in a film or television programletter of credita document issued by a bank that guarantees the payment of a customer's draft; substitutes the bank's credit for the customer's creditquittancea document or receipt certifying release from an obligation or debtrecorda document that can serve as legal evidence of a transactionethosa rhetorical appeal that relies on the character or credibility of the speakerlogosa rhetorical appeal to the audience's reason or rationalityvoicethe distinctive way a writer uses language to express their personality and ideastype of:abstract entity, abstractiona general concept formed by extracting common features from specific examples
-
a connection allowing access between persons or places“how many lines of communication can there be among four people?”“a secret passageway provided communication between the two rooms”type of:connectedness, connection, connexiona relation between things or events (as in the case of one causing the other or sharing features with it)
Pronunciation
US
UK
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
- MLA
- APA
- Chicago
Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘communication'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
Send us feedback
Word Family
Vocabulary lists containing communication
Out of My Mind
Born with cerebral palsy, Melody has difficulty communicating with others — but in spite of the obstacles she faces, Melody is determined to prove how smart she really is.
"The Evolution of a Great Idea"
Learn these words from the article by Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler (Inside: Level B, Unit 1). Here are our links to the selections of "Imagine the Possibilities": Hitching a Ride, Crittercam to the Rescue, LAFFF, Kids Are Inventors, Too, Inventing to Solve a Problem, The Evolution of a Great Idea Here are our links to the units of Level B: Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4, Unit 5, Unit 6, Unit 7, Unit 8 Here are our links to the Inside books: Level A, Level B, Level C Here is our link to a list of academic vocabulary for Inside: Academic Vocabulary
