transmission

noun

trans·​mis·​sion tran(t)s-ˈmi-shən 

tranz-

1

: an act, process, or instance of transmitting

transmission of a nerve impulse across a synapse

2

: the passage of radio waves in the space between transmitting and receiving stations

also : the act or process of transmitting by radio or television

3

: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the driveshaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a live axle

also : the speed-changing gears in such an assembly

4

: something that is transmitted : message

transmissive

tran(t)s-ˈmi-siv 

ˌtranz-

adjective

transmissivity

ˌtran(t)s-(ˌ)mi-ˈsi-və-tē 

ˌtranz-

noun

Did you know?

Since trans- means "across", it's not hard to see the meaning of transmission. Disease transmission occurs when an infection passes from one living thing to another. TV signal transmission can be interrupted by tree leaves, including moving leaves and branches during a storm. Your car's transmission transmits the engine's power to the axle, changing the gears to keep the engine working with maximum efficiency at various speeds.

Examples of transmission in a Sentence

The equipment is used for the transmission of television signals.

We are receiving a live transmission from the scene of the accident.

the transmission of knowledge from one generation to the next

My car has a manual transmission.

This car comes with automatic transmission.

Recent Examples on the Web

Attending a program like Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School, which has courses at locations all over the United States, will help introduce students to burnouts and the importance of tire temperatures, line lock, and transmission braking, as well as how to handle oversteer and skids. —Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2024

Respiratory transmission in close proximity is believed to be the most likely way the virus is passed on. —Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2024

Across sectors, energy efficiency has the second greatest demand for new workers, trailing only renewable energy and transmission infrastructure deployment. —Jeff Sprau, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

But even in more predictable years, RSV transmission varies across regions—sometimes kick-starting during the summer in the South and lingering until spring further north. —Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 29 Mar. 2024

That may sound like a stretch, but the concept was tested in a 1970s experiment in which Bell Labs built a 14 km waveguide transmission medium in northern New Jersey. —IEEE Spectrum, 29 Mar. 2024

Is contact tracing possible? Contact tracing, which became a household phrase during the COVID pandemic, is next to impossible to conduct for leprosy to pinpoint the origin of its transmission. —Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024

But companies showed no interest in running the system without government help, so the Coast Guard plans to dispose of all eight transmission sites. —Chris Buckley, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024

Ranchers Donna and Joe Tisdale of Boulevard object to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors’ approval of the Boulder Brush Project that plans to build a high-voltage substation, a switchyard and an overhead transmission line along a 320-acre corridor on private land. —Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, from Latin transmission-, transmissio, from transmittere to transmit

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing transmission

• community transmission
• automatic transmission
• manual transmission

Kids Definition

transmission

noun

trans·​mis·​sion tran(t)s-ˈmish-ən  tranz- 

1

: an act, process, or example of transmitting

2

: the passage of radio waves in the space between transmitting and receiving stations

3

: the gears by which the power is transmitted from the engine to the axle that gives motion to a motor vehicle

4

: something transmitted

Medical Definition

transmission

noun

trans·​mis·​sion tran(t)s-ˈmish-ən  tranz- 

: an act, process, or instance of transmitting

transmission of HIV

synaptic transmission

Legal Definition

transmission

noun

trans·​mis·​sion tranz-ˈmi-shən, trans- 

: an act, process, or instance of transmitting