transmit

1 of 2

verb

trans·​mit tran(t)s-ˈmit  tranz- 

transmitted; transmitting

transitive verb

1

a

: to send or convey from one person or place to another : forward

b

: to cause or allow to spread: such as

(1)

: to convey by or as if by inheritance or heredity : hand down

(2)

: to convey (infection) abroad or to another

2

a(1)

: to cause (something, such as light or force) to pass or be conveyed through space or a medium

(2)

: to admit the passage of : conduct

glass transmits light

b

: to send out (a signal) either by radio waves or over a wire

intransitive verb

: to send out a signal either by radio waves or over a wire

transmittable

tran(t)s-ˈmi-tə-bəl 

tranz-

adjective

transmittal

tran(t)s-ˈmi-tᵊl 

tranz-

noun

transmittal

2 of 2

noun

trans·​mit·​tal -itᵊl 

-itᵊl

plural -s

: transmission

report its findings and recommendations … for transmittal to Congress

—New Republic

the transmittal of evil from one generation to another

—Time

its values permeate the culture through the same process of transmittal

—J. K. Feibleman

Synonyms of transmit

Verb

• spread
• convey
• give
• communicate
• disseminate
• propagate
• impart

Examples of transmit in a Sentence

Verb

The technology allows data to be transmitted by cellular phones.

transmitting and receiving radio signals

The radio transmits on two different frequencies.

the different ways that people transmit their values

The disease is transmitted by sexual contact.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

When the waves reflect back, the radar receives them and transmits data about the number, height, direction, and speed of aerial passersby. —Literary Hub, 11 June 2026

SpaceX increasingly resembles an infrastructure company and some investors see a future built on Starlink, but also on orbital data centers and even solar power transmitted wirelessly to Earth from space. —Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026

Leptospirosis is commonly carried by rats globally; while cases among people are rare, the bacterial disease can be transmitted to humans through the urine of an infected rat. —Jason Green, Mercury News, 11 June 2026

While all mosquitoes may be annoying, the ones Coloradans need to worry about are from the Culex group of species, which transmit West Nile virus, said Greg Ebel, a professor of microbiology, immunology and pathology at Colorado State University’s Center for Vector-Borne Infectious Disease. —Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 11 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English transmitten, from Latin transmittere, from trans- + mittere to send

Noun

transmit + -al

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for transmit

• acquit
• admit
• armpit
• backlit
• befit
• cockpit
• commit
• dalit
• dendrite
• emit
• illite
• misfit

Kids Definition

transmit

verb

trans·​mit tran(t)s-ˈmit  tranz- 

transmitted; transmitting

1

a

: to transfer from one person or place to another

b

: to pass on by or as if by inheritance

c

: to cause or allow to spread abroad or to another

transmit a disease

2

a

: to pass or cause to pass through space or a material : allow the passage of

b

: to send a signal by radio waves or over a wire

transmittable

-ˈmit-ə-bəl 

adjective

transmittal

-ˈmit-ᵊl 

noun

Etymology

Verb

Middle English transmitten "to send to another person or place," from Latin transmittere (same meaning), from trans- "across, to the other side" and mittere "to send, throw" — related to emit

Medical Definition

transmit

transitive verb

trans·​mit tran(t)s-ˈmit  tranz- 

transmitted; transmitting

: to pass, transfer, or convey from one person or place to another: as

a

: to pass or convey by heredity

transmit a genetic abnormality

b

: to convey (infection) abroad or to another

mosquitoes transmit malaria

c

: to cause (energy) to be conveyed through space or a medium

substances that transmit nerve impulses

Legal Definition

transmit

transitive verb

trans·​mit tranz-ˈmit, trans- 

transmitted; transmitting

1

: to send or convey from one person or place to another

2

: to transfer especially by inheritance

transmittable

-ˈmi-tə-bəl 

adjective

transmittal

-ˈmit-ᵊl 

noun