convey

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verb con·vey \kən-ˈvā\

Definition of convey

conveyed

;

conveying

transitive verb
1 obsolete : lead, conduct
2a : to bear from one place to another; especially : to move in a continuous stream or massb : to impart or communicate by statement, suggestion, gesture, or appearance struggling to convey his feelingsc (1) archaic : steal (2) obsolete : to carry away secretlyd : to transfer or deliver (something, such as property) to another especially by a sealed writinge : to cause to pass from one place or person to another convey a message

See convey defined for English-language learners

See convey defined for kids

Examples of convey in a Sentence

To convey sympathy to a bereaved parent by telephone struck him as maladroit … —P. D. James, The Private Patient, 2008
… he conveys so much kindliness and benign authority that he is probably forgiven each time he directs a tuna-fish shopper into the thick of the English muffins. —Susan Orlean, New Yorker, 22 June 1992
Robyn was well aware that clothes do not merely serve the practical purpose of covering our bodies, but also convey messages about who we are, what we are doing, and how we feel. —David Lodge, Nice Work, 1990
… please convey to Mr. & Mrs. Langdon my love &respectful duty. —Mark Twain, 28 Nov. 1868, in Mark Twain's Letters, 1990
The singer was conveyed from her hotel to the airport by limousine.
They conveyed the goods by ship.
The pipes convey water to the fields.
The message conveyed a sense of urgency.
He conveyed the estate to his son.

Recent Examples of convey from the Web

But in this instance, the president conveyed his threat through government officials, using the power of his office — and public servants — to extort a display of sycophancy from two cable news hosts.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Morning Joe Hosts: Trump Threatened Negative National Enquirer Story If We Didn’t Beg For Mercy", 30 June 2017
Straight out of the box, Anki’s adorable robot Cozmo plays games, fist bumps, and uses its big, blue digital eyes to convey convincing emotional range.

— wired staff, WIRED, "June’s Greatest Gear, From Apple’s New iPad to Coding Robots", 30 June 2017
As for playing Mildred Loving, Negga says less was more in conveying the emotion and pain of Loving’s plight.

— greg braxton, latimes.com, "Ruth Negga stands tall in the year of 'Preacher,' 'Loving' and an Oscar nom", 24 June 2017
So that was really a challenging story to report and then convey in a nuanced way.

— kalyn kahler, The MMQB, "— The MMQB (@theMMQB)", 23 June 2017
Mr. Kalanick conveyed to Mr. Levandowski in response that Mr. Levandowski should not bring any Google information into Uber and that Uber did not want any Google information.

— joe mullin, Ars Technica, "Waymo tells judge: Uber’s ex-CEO knew about Google files", 22 June 2017
This comes at the expense of outward expressions of intimacy, which can convey vulnerability.

— kory floyd, Scientific American, "Why Fathers Downplay Feelings", 18 June 2017
Kathy Bowles, director of the Center for Home Care Policy & Research at the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, suggests a plain-language, positive way to convey this information.

— judith graham, Kaiser Health News, "Some Seniors Just Want To Be Left Alone, Which Can Lead To Problems", 15 June 2017
Brown and Cherone designed the set, a shabby living room that conveys the stepchildren's disregard for Ethel in bringing her there.

— patti restivo, Laurel Leader, "'Curious Savage' takes an amusing venture into insanity", 9 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of convey

Middle English, from Anglo-French conveer to accompany, escort, from Vulgar Latin *conviare, from Latin com- + via way — more at way

NEW!

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

CONVEY Defined for English Language Learners

convey

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verb

Definition of convey for English Language Learners

: to take or carry (someone or something) from one place to another
: to make (something) known to someone
law : to change the ownership of (property) from one person to another

CONVEY Defined for Kids

convey

play

verb con·vey \kən-ˈvā\

Definition of convey for Students

conveyed

;

conveying

1 : to carry from one place to another : transport Pipes convey water. Travelers were conveyed to the airport by shuttle.
2 : to make known : communicate We use words to convey our thoughts.

Law Dictionary

convey

play

transitive verb con·vey \kən-ˈvā\

Legal Definition of convey

conveyed

conveying

: to transfer or transmit (property or property rights) to another especially by a writing (as a deed or will) agreed to convey to the estate his Manhattan town house — R. H. Jensen — compare alienate, devise, donate, give, grant, sell