communication
nounUK /kəˌmjuː.nɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/ · CA, US /kəˌmju.nɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/
Etymology Inherited from Middle English comunicacioun, communicacion (“discussion, association”), from Old French communicacion, from Latin commūnicātiōnem, accusative singular of commūnicātiō (“imparting, communicating”), from commūnicō (“to share, to impart”). Morphologically communicate + -ion.
10 senses
- 1The act or fact of communicating anything; transmission.
- 2The concept or state of exchanging data or information…
- 3A message; the essential data transferred in an act of…
- 4The body of all data transferred to one or both parties…
- 5An instance of information transfer; a conversation or discourse.
- 6A passageway or opening between two locations; connection.
- 7A connection between two tissues, organs, or cavities.
- 8Association; company.
- 9Participation in Holy Communion.
- 10A trope by which a speaker assumes that his hearer is a…
1
The act or fact of communicating anything; transmission.
- communication of smallpox
- communication of a secret
2
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.
- Argument […] and friendly communication.1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
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.
- The Euxine Sea is conveniently situated for trade, by the communication it has both with Asia and Europe.1727, John Arbuthnot, Tables of Ancient Coins, Weights and Measures. Explain'd and exemplify'd in several dissertations:
1 more example
- 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.1900, Patents for Inventions: Abridgments of Specifications, page 75:
- ...and here a free communication had been established between the aorta and the vena cava.1855, William Stokes, The Diseases of the Heart and the Aorta Page 617
8
Obsolete Association; company.
- Evil communications corrupt good manners.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Bible Corinthians/#15 1 Corinthians:15–33:
9
Participation in Holy Communion.
- We admit them in the Church to a right of Communication to drink of the Cup of the Bloud of Christ.1672, William Cave, Primitive Christianity:
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".
- Communication[…]takes place when a speaker or writer assumes his hearer or reader as a partner in his sentiments and discourse, saying We, instead of I or Ye.1798, James Beattie, Elements of Moral Science:
- Antonyms
- anticommunication
- Derived terms
52 terms
biocommunication, chemocommunication, commognition, communication accommodation theory, communicational, communication board, communication cord, communication disorder, communication engineering, communication mix, communications, communications satellite, communication studies, communication theory, communicology, computer-mediated communication, cross-cultural communication, cybercommunication, e-communication, electrocommunication, electronic communication, excommunication, ex-communication, exocommunication, facilitated communication, intercommunication, inter-process communication, line of communication, malcommunication, masscom, mass communication, metacommunication, meta-communication, near field communication, no-communication theorem, nonverbal communication, overcommunication, PC communication, power line communication, power-line communication, radiocommunication, recommunication, record communication, semicommunication, space communication, spirit communication, spread spectrum communication, transcommunication, two-way communication, uncommunication, undercommunication, verbal communication- Related terms
- communicate, communicator, communion
- Hyponyms
- bi-directional communication, confidential communication, interprocess communication, miscommunication, network communication, noncommunication, one-directional communication, privileged communication, telecommunication