What does "communicate" mean?
To impart.; To impart or transmit (information or knowledge) to someone; to make known, to tell.
Communicate
/kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/ adj, verb
adj, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To impart.; To impart or transmit (information or knowledge) to someone; to make known, to tell.
- Grammar: communicate is listed as adj, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: convey, express, transmit, abut.
- Useful contrasts: ghosts, practice no contact, block.
- Usage evidence: Before long, we'll be able to communicate with each other by T.V. telephone.
How to use "communicate"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "communicate" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "communicate" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "communicate" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "communicate" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "communicate" is acting as adj, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "convey" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "communicate", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To impart.; To impart or transmit (information or knowledge) to someone; to make known, to tell. transitive
"It is vital that I communicate this information to you."
- 2 transmit thoughts or feelings wordnet
- 3 To impart.; To impart or transmit (an intangible quantity, substance); to give a share of. transitive
"to communicate motion by means of a crank"
- 4 transmit information wordnet
- 5 To impart.; To pass on (a disease) to another person, animal etc. transitive
"The disease was mainly communicated via rats and other vermin."
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 receive Communion, in the Catholic church wordnet
- 7 To share; To share (in); to have in common, to partake of. obsolete, transitive
"We shall now consider those functions of intelligence which man communicates with the higher beasts."
- 8 administer Communion; in church wordnet
- 9 To share; To receive the bread and wine at a celebration of the Eucharist; to take part in Holy Communion. intransitive
"It seems that now [the Devil] was driving Alison hard. She had been remiss of late—fewer souls sent to hell, less zeal in quenching the Spirit, and, above all, the crowning offense that her bairn had communicated in Christ's kirk."
- 10 be in verbal contact; interchange information or ideas wordnet
- 11 To share; To administer the Holy Communion to (someone). transitive
"[W]hen ſhe [the church] can underſtand that ſuch an emendation is made, and the man is really reformed, ſhe can pronounce him pardon'd, or vvhich is all one, ſhe may communicate him."
- 12 join or connect wordnet
- 13 To share; To express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means; to have intercourse, to exchange information. intransitive
"Many deaf people communicate with sign language."
- 14 transfer to another wordnet
- 15 To share; To be connected by means of an opening or channel [with with ‘another room, vessel etc.’]. intransitive
"The living room communicates with the back garden by these French windows."
Adjective
- 1 Communicated, (made) commune, joined. obsolete
"The property of the manhood is communicate with the other nature."
Example
"Before long, we'll be able to communicate with each other by T.V. telephone."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "communicate"?
Common synonyms include: convey, express, transmit, abut, accord, acquaint.
How do you use "communicate" in a sentence?
Before long, we'll be able to communicate with each other by T.V. telephone.
How do you pronounce "communicate"?
Pronounced /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Adapted borrowing of Latin commūnicāt- (past participial stem of commūnicō (“share, impart; make common”)) + -ate (verb-forming suffix), from commūnis (“common”) + -icō. Compare French communiquer and its older (and now obsolete) English cognate from Middle French, communique.
Etymology 2
From Middle English communicate, an adapted borrowing of Latin commūnicātus (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), perfect passive participle of commūnicō (“to make commune”).