communication

Inherited from Middle English communicacion, from Old French communicacion, from Latin commūnicātiōnem, accusative singular of commūnicātiō (“imparting, communicating”), from commūnicō (“I share, I impart”). Morphologically communicate +‎ -ion.

• IPA^(key): /kəˌmjuːnɪˈkeɪʃən/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: com‧mu‧ni‧ca‧tion
• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

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.

   • 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]:

     Argument […] and friendly communication.

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.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Bible Corinthians/#15 1 Corinthians:15–33:

     Evil communications corrupt good manners.

9. Participation in Holy Communion.
   • 1672, William Cave, Primitive Christianity:

     We admit them in the Church to a right of Communication to drink of the Cup of the Bloud of Christ.

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".
    • 1798, James Beattie, Elements of Moral Science:

      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.

• anticommunication

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

• “communication”, in 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 […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

• communication on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• communicaison

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

• IPA^(key): /kɔ.my.ni.ka.sjɔ̃/

• Audio; “une communication”:

  (file)

communication f (plural communications)

1. communication

• chargé de communication
• voie de communication

• communiquer

• “communication”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.