communication

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English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English communicacion, from Old French communicacion, from Latin commūnicātiōnem, accusative singular of commūnicātiō (“imparting, communicating”), from commūnicō (“I share, I impart”).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /kəˌmjuːnɪˈkeɪʃən/
  • Audio (US)
    		(file)
  • Hyphenation: com‧mu‧ni‧ca‧tion
  • Rhymes: -eɪʃən

Noun[edit]

communication (countable and uncountable, plural communications)

  1. The act or fact of communicating anything; transmission.
    communication of smallpox
    communication of a secret
  2. (uncountable) The concept or state of exchanging data or information between entities.
    Some say that communication is a necessary prerequisite for sentience; others say that it is a result thereof.
    The node had established communication with the network, but had as yet sent no data.
  3. A message; the essential data transferred in an act of communication.
    Surveillance was accomplished by means of intercepting the spies' communications.
  4. The body of all data transferred to one or both parties during an act of communication.
    The subpoena required that the company document their communication with the plaintiff.
  5. An instance of information transfer; a conversation or discourse.
    The professors' communications consisted of lively discussions via email.
  6. A passageway or opening between two locations; connection.
    A round archway at the far end of the hallway provided communication to the main chamber.
    • 1727, John Arbuthnot, Tables of Ancient Coins, Weights and Measures. Explain'd and exemplify'd in several dissertations
      The Euxine Sea is conveniently situated for trade, by the communication it has both with Asia and Europe.
    • 1900, Patents for Inventions: Abridgments of Specifications (page 75)
      This communication between the tank and pump is controlled by a float valve in the tanks and a cock in the pipe, while a poppet valve prevents the undrawn liquor going into the waste tank.
  7. (anatomy) A connection between two tissues, organs, or cavities.
    • 1855, William Stokes, The Diseases of the Heart and the Aorta Page 617
      ...and here a free communication had been established between the aorta and the vena cava.
  8. (obsolete) Association; company.
  9. Participation in Holy Communion.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Bishop Pearson to this entry?)
  10. (rhetoric) A trope by which a speaker assumes that his hearer is a partner in his sentiments, and says "we" instead of "I" or "you".
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Beattie to this entry?)

Antonyms[edit]

Hyponyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

  • → Japanese: コミュニケーション (komyunikēshon)

Related terms[edit]

Related terms of communication

Translations[edit]

body of data exchange
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

References[edit]

  • communication at OneLook Dictionary Search
  • communication in Keywords for Today: A 21st Century Vocabulary, edited by The Keywords Project, Colin MacCabe, Holly Yanacek, 2018.
  • "communication" in Raymond Williams, Keywords (revised), 1983, Fontana Press, page 72.
  • communication in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911.

Further reading[edit]

French[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old French communicacion, borrowed from Latin commūnicātiō, commūnicātiōnem (“sharing, communication”).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /kɔ.my.ni.ka.sjɔ̃/
  • audio (une communiation)
    		(file)

Noun[edit]

communication f (plural communications)

  1. communication

Related terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]

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