communicate
verb
com·mu·ni·cate
kə-ˈmyü-nə-ˌkāt 
communicated; communicating
1
a
: 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.
2
: to cause to pass from one to another
Some diseases are easily communicated.
3
archaic
: share
1
: 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.
2
: to open into each other : connect
The rooms communicate.
3
: to receive Communion
Some Christians communicate in both elements, bread and wine.
Synonyms
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.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Different generations communicate differently, from baby boomers to Gen Z. Millennials might resonate with nostalgia, while Gen Z could be more drawn to social activism.
—
Christian Anderson (trust'n), Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2023
The hiker was able to communicate with search and rescue workers by cell phone, but could not provide much information about their location, and GPS information could not be obtained.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 14 Nov. 2023
The senior Administration official said that the balloon drama underscored Washington’s challenges in communicating with Beijing.
—Robin Wright, The New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2023
The schools would need to have a system in place for emergencies and for parents and children to communicate with each other.
—The Editors, National Review, 13 Nov. 2023
Video game aficionados gravitate to Discord, a live-streaming app with voice and video chat functions, to communicate with one another in real time while playing multiplayer games.
—Salvador Rizzo, Washington Post, 11 Nov. 2023
The new system allowed a local election official to, for example, communicate to Facebook that a local group was directing people to the wrong polling site, in violation of the company’s policies.
—Kevin Collier, NBC News, 10 Nov. 2023
With no screen, the poor AI Pin can only communicate to the outside world via a cryptic light show.
—Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 10 Nov. 2023
The program hosts several training sessions for volunteers and potential candidates on several topics including recruiting volunteers, communicating with voters, and discussing gun violence during their campaign.
MORE: America has a gun violence problem.
—Sarah Baniak, ABC News, 9 Nov. 2023
See More
Christian Anderson (trust'n), Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2023
The hiker was able to communicate with search and rescue workers by cell phone, but could not provide much information about their location, and GPS information could not be obtained.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 14 Nov. 2023
The senior Administration official said that the balloon drama underscored Washington’s challenges in communicating with Beijing.
—Robin Wright, The New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2023
The schools would need to have a system in place for emergencies and for parents and children to communicate with each other.
—The Editors, National Review, 13 Nov. 2023
Video game aficionados gravitate to Discord, a live-streaming app with voice and video chat functions, to communicate with one another in real time while playing multiplayer games.
—Salvador Rizzo, Washington Post, 11 Nov. 2023
The new system allowed a local election official to, for example, communicate to Facebook that a local group was directing people to the wrong polling site, in violation of the company’s policies.
—Kevin Collier, NBC News, 10 Nov. 2023
With no screen, the poor AI Pin can only communicate to the outside world via a cryptic light show.
—Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 10 Nov. 2023
The program hosts several training sessions for volunteers and potential candidates on several topics including recruiting volunteers, communicating with voters, and discussing gun violence during their campaign.
MORE: America has a gun violence problem.
—Sarah Baniak, ABC News, 9 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'communicate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Latin communicatus, past participle of communicare to impart, participate, from communis common — more at mean
First Known Use
1529, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Dictionary Entries Near communicate
Cite this Entry
“Communicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communicate. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.
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Kids Definition
communicate
verb
com·mu·ni·cate
kə-ˈmyü-nə-ˌkāt
communicated; communicating
1
a
: to make known
communicate the news
b
: to pass from one to another : transmit
communicate a disease
2
: to transmit information, thought, or feeling so that it is satisfactorily received or understood
the pilot communicated with the airport
3
: to open into each other : connect
the rooms communicate
Medical Definition
communicate
transitive verb
com·mu·ni·cate
kə-ˈmyü-nə-ˌkāt
communicated; communicating
: to cause to pass from one to another
some diseases are easily communicated
More from Merriam-Webster on communicate
Nglish: Translation of communicate for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of communicate for Arabic Speakers
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