communicate
/kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/ verb, adjective
Forms communicates communicating communicated communicatest communicatedst communicateth
- verb (transitive) To impart or transmit (information or knowledge) to someone; to make known, to tell. “It is vital that I communicate this information to you.”
- verb (transitive) To impart or transmit (an intangible quantity, substance); to give a share of. “to communicate motion by means of a crank”
- verb (transitive) To pass on (a disease) to another person, animal etc. “The disease was mainly communicated via rats and other vermin.”
- verb (transitive, obsolete) To share (in); to have in common, to partake of. “We shall now consider those functions of intelligence which man communicates with the higher beasts.”
- verb (intransitive, Christianity) To receive the bread and wine at a celebration of the Eucharist; to take part in Holy Communion.
- verb (transitive, Christianity) To administer the Holy Communion to (someone).
- verb (intransitive) To express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means; to have intercourse, to exchange information. “Many deaf people communicate with sign language.”
- verb (intransitive) To be connected by means of an opening or channel [with with ‘another room, vessel etc.’]. “The living room communicates with the back garden by these French windows.”
- adjective (obsolete) Communicated, (made) commune, joined.
Synonyms
articulate common convey share express make known outspeak portray put utter pass on pass pass along put across intercommunicate transmit commune
Antonyms
Etymology
Adapted borrowing of Latin commūnicāt- (past participial stem of commūnicō (“share, impart; make common”)) + -ate (verb-forming suffix), from commūnis (“common”) + -icō. Compare French communiquer and its older (and now obsolete) English cognate from Middle French, communique.
From Middle English communicate, an adapted borrowing of Latin commūnicātus (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), perfect passive participle of commūnicō (“to make commune”).
Webster’s 1913
- verb To share in common; to participate in. [Obs.]
- verb To impart; to convey; as, to communicate a disease or a sensation; to communicate motion by means of a crank.
- verb To share or participate; to possess or enjoy in common; to have sympathy.
- verb To give alms, sympathy, or aid. To do good and to communicate forget not. Heb. xiii. 16.
Etymology [L. communicatus, p. p. of communicare to communicate, fr. communis common. See Commune, v. i.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “communicate”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details