convey

verb

con·​vey kən-ˈvā 

conveyed; conveying

transitive verb

1

a

: to bear from one place to another

goods conveyed by ship

The singer was conveyed from her hotel to the airport by limousine.

especially : to move in a continuous stream or mass

Pipes convey water to the fields.

b

: to impart or communicate by statement, suggestion, gesture, or appearance

struggling to convey his feelings

Her demeanor conveys confidence.

The artist's posts about the three murals have not included captions or titles, prompting speculation online about what the artist is intending to convey.

—Karen K. Ho

c

law : to transfer or deliver (something, such as property or property rights) to another especially by a writing (such as a deed or will)

He conveyed the estate to his son.

d

: to cause to pass from one place or person to another

The star knows when to use her moment to convey a message.

—Janelle Okwodu

Anything longer than a few words was best conveyed in a call.

—Michael Zelenko

e(1)

archaic : steal

(2)

obsolete : to carry away secretly

2

obsolete : lead, conduct

Synonyms of convey

• transmit
• spread
• give
• communicate

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 on the Web

How Board Experience Helps Advance Your Career Board experience does convey multiple benefits that help advance your career, including operational know-how, networking opportunities and additions to your personal brand. — Caroline Ceniza-Levine, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Experts say a big reason for the move higher was how little information Warsh conveyed about the Fed’s plans during that news conference last month. — Brian Cheung, NBC news, 28 Aug. 2026

So nice, doing it twice Brady proposed the special livery to better convey how the T-38 is connected to the Artemis program and its missions. — Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026

When these fibers are thoughtfully integrated, Wong said the fabric instantly conveys a higher level of refinement. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for convey

• airway
• allay
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• assez
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway

Kids Definition

convey

verb

con·​vey kən-ˈvā 

conveyed; conveying

1

: to carry from one place to another : transport

2

: to serve as a way of carrying

pipes convey water

3

: to make known : communicate

using words to convey ideas

Legal Definition

convey

transitive verb

con·​vey kən-ˈvā 

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

conveyee

kən-ˌvā-ˈē

noun

conveyor

kən-ˈvā-ər

noun