communicate

play

verb com·mu·ni·cate \kə-ˈmyü-nə-ˌkāt\

Definition of communicate

communicated

;

communicating

transitive verb
1 archaic : share
2a : to convey knowledge of or information about : make known communicate a story She communicated her ideas to the group.b : to reveal by clear signs His fear communicated itself to his friends. He communicated his dissatisfaction to the staff.
3 : to cause to pass from one to another Some diseases are easily communicated.
intransitive verb
1 : to receive Communion Some Christians communicate in both elements, bread and wine.
2 : to transmit information, thought, or feeling so that it is satisfactorily received or understood two sides failing to communicate with each other The computer communicates with peripheral equipment.
3 : to open into each other : connect The rooms communicate.

communicatee

play \kə-ˌmyü-ni-kə-ˈtē\ noun

communicator

play \kə-ˈmyü-nə-ˌkā-tər\ noun

See communicate defined for English-language learners

See communicate defined for kids

Examples of communicate in a Sentence

He was asked to communicate the news to the rest of the people.
She communicated her ideas to the group.
The two computers are able to communicate directly with one another.
The pilot communicated with the airport just before the crash.
The couple has trouble communicating.
the challenge of getting the two groups to communicate with each other
We communicate a lot of information through body language.
He communicated his dissatisfaction to the staff.
If you're excited about the product, your enthusiasm will communicate itself to customers.
The disease is communicated through saliva.

Recent Examples of communicate from the Web

The caseworker said the girl was shy but communicated at a normal level for a sixth-grader.

— mike cason, AL.com, "Lawyer blasts court ruling allowing abortion for 12-year-old who was raped," 19 July 2017
Loaded with scientists and people whose careers are focused on researching and communicating about GMOs—

— yvette d'entremont, SELF, "Don’t Let Yourself Be Convinced That GMOs Are Evil," 18 July 2017
Though locked away unable to communicate with the world, Liu soon became a rallying cry worldwide for the human rights movement.

— ben panko, Smithsonian, "Imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize Winner Liu Xiaobo Dies at Age 61," 14 July 2017
Neither of the men is a big talker, so Saylak, who co-penned the adaptation with Dogu Yasar Akal and Gunday, has to use other means to communicate what the men are thinking and how their characters are evolving.

— boyd van hoeij, The Hollywood Reporter, "'More' ('Daha'): Film Review | Karlovy Vary 2017," 14 July 2017
All of your devices communicate by sending and receiving radio signals at specific frequencies.

— avery thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Robots Finally Have a Good Way to Communicate Underwater," 10 July 2017
De Jesus overcame the language barrier after initially not being able to communicate with his teammates.

— brandon vickrey, Post-Tribune, "Indiana State product Andy De Jesus a switch-hitting success for RailCats," 10 July 2017
Everybody is gifted with a unique ability to communicate with the world in their own unique way.

— ilana kaplan, Glamour, "SZA Explains Why She Might Give Up Making Music After Her Debut Album," 5 July 2017
Pictures of pets – those lost and those found – regularly populate the Nextdoor website, where residents of specific neighborhoods can communicate with each other and people in surrounding neighborhoods.

— molly sullivan, sacbee, "How social media helped people find lost pets fast on July 4," 5 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'communicate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of communicate

Latin communicatus, past participle of communicare to impart, participate, from communis common — more at mean

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1529

See Words from the same year

COMMUNICATE Defined for English Language Learners

communicate

play

verb

Definition of communicate for English Language Learners

: to give information about (something) to someone by speaking, writing, moving your hands, etc.
: to get someone to understand your thoughts or feelings
medical : to pass (a disease) from one person or animal to another

COMMUNICATE Defined for Kids

communicate

play

verb com·mu·ni·cate \kə-ˈmyü-nə-ˌkāt\

Definition of communicate for Students

communicated

;

communicating

1 : to get in touch “… we won't be able to communicate. The mail is unpredictable …” — Pam Muñoz Ryan, Esperanza Rising
2 : to make known I communicated my needs to the nurse.
3 : to pass (as a disease) from one to another : spread