COMMUNICATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does communicate mean? 

• COMMUNICATE (verb)
  The verb COMMUNICATE has 7 senses:

1. transmit information

2. transmit thoughts or feelings

3. transfer to another

4. join or connect

5. be in verbal contact; interchange information or ideas

6. administer Communion; in church

7. receive Communion, in the Catholic church

  Familiarity information: COMMUNICATE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COMMUNICATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they communicate    ... he / she / it communicates   
Past simple: communicated   
Past participle: communicated   
-ing form: communicating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Transmit information

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

communicate; pass; pass along; pass on; put across

Context example:

pass along the good news

Hypernyms (to "communicate" is one way to...):

communicate; convey; transmit (transfer to another)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "communicate"):

relay (pass along)

message (send a message to)

message (send as a message)

deliver; render; return (pass down)

carry (pass on a communication)

acknowledge; receipt (report the receipt of)

telecommunicate (communicate over long distances, as via the telephone or e-mail)

ask for; bespeak; call for; quest; request (express the need or desire for)

get across; put over (communicate successfully)

send a message (give or constitute a signal, not necessarily verbally)

implant; plant (put firmly in the mind)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Sentence example:

They communicate the information to them

Derivation:

communicator (a person who communicates with others)

communicatory (able or tending to communicate)

communicative (of or relating to communication)

communicative (able or tending to communicate)

communication (a connection allowing access between persons or places)

communication (the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information)

communication (something that is communicated by or to or between people or groups)

communicating (the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Transmit thoughts or feelings

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

communicate; intercommunicate

Context example:

He communicated his anxieties to the psychiatrist

Hypernyms (to "communicate" is one way to...):

interact (act together or towards others or with others)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "communicate"):

whistle (utter or express by whistling)

speak; talk (use language)

gesticulate; gesture; motion (show, express or direct through movement)

telepathise; telepathize (communicate nonverbally by telepathy)

write (communicate or express by writing)

radio (transmit messages via radio waves)

network (communicate with and within a group)

sign; signal; signalise; signalize (communicate silently and non-verbally by signals or signs)

semaphore (convey by semaphore, of information)

gab; yak (talk profusely)

give; throw (convey or communicate; of a smile, a look, a physical gesture)

give; pay (convey, as of a compliment, regards, attention, etc.; bestow)

give; render (bestow)

carry; convey; express (serve as a means for expressing something)

issue (bring out an official document (such as a warrant))

come across; come over (communicate the intended meaning or impression)

share (communicate)

get (communicate with a place or person; establish communication with, as if by telephone)

mouth; speak; talk; utter; verbalise; verbalize (express in speech)

grimace; make a face; pull a face (contort the face to indicate a certain mental or emotional state)

finger-spell; fingerspell (communicate by means of specific gestures, as an alternative to sign language)

aphorise; aphorize (speak or write in aphorisms)

riddle (speak in riddles)

project (communicate vividly)

contact; get hold of; get through; reach (be in or establish communication with)

bring down; impose; inflict; visit (impose something unpleasant)

commune (communicate intimately with; be in a state of heightened, intimate receptivity)

jest; joke (tell a joke; speak humorously)

blog (read, write, or edit a shared on-line journal)

greet (send greetings to)

address; turn to (speak to)

ask; enquire; inquire (address a question to and expect an answer from)

nod (lower and raise the head, as to indicate assent or agreement or confirmation)

sign (communicate in sign language)

speak; talk (exchange thoughts; talk with)

inform (impart knowledge of some fact, state of affairs, or event to)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Derivation:

communication (something that is communicated by or to or between people or groups)

communication (the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information)

communicative (able or tending to communicate)

communicator (a person who communicates with others)

communicatory (able or tending to communicate)

communicating (the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Transfer to another

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

communicate; convey; transmit

Context example:

communicate a disease

Hypernyms (to "communicate" is one way to...):

transfer (move from one place to another)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "communicate"):

communicate; pass; pass along; pass on; put across (transmit information)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Derivation:

communication (something that is communicated by or to or between people or groups)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Join or connect

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

The rooms communicated

Hypernyms (to "communicate" is one way to...):

intercommunicate (be interconnected, afford passage)

Sentence frame:

Something is ----ing PP

Derivation:

communication (a connection allowing access between persons or places)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Be in verbal contact; interchange information or ideas

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

Do you communicate well with your advisor?

Hypernyms (to "communicate" is one way to...):

interact (act together or towards others or with others)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "communicate"):

message (send a message)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Derivation:

communicating (the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information)

communication (something that is communicated by or to or between people or groups)

communication (the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information)

communicative (able or tending to communicate)

communicator (a person who communicates with others)

communicatory (able or tending to communicate)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Administer Communion; in church

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "communicate" is one way to...):

covenant (enter into a covenant or formal agreement)

Verb group:

commune; communicate (receive Communion, in the Catholic church)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Antonym:

excommunicate (exclude from a church or a religious community)

Derivation:

communication (something that is communicated by or to or between people or groups)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Receive Communion, in the Catholic church

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

commune; communicate

Hypernyms (to "communicate" is one way to...):

covenant (enter into a covenant or formal agreement)

Verb group:

communicate (administer Communion; in church)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

communication (something that is communicated by or to or between people or groups)

 Context examples 

The researchers found that the beneficial effects on metabolic health in obese mothers related to changes in how molecules and cells communicate in maternal tissues during pregnancy.

(Exercise in pregnancy improves health of obese mothers by restoring their tissues, University of Cambridge)

“Our emotions literally change the way that our brains share information with others - positive emotions help us to communicate in a much more efficient way,” said Dr Leong.

(Mothers’ and babies’ brains ‘more in tune’ when mother is happy, University of Cambridge)

The mutated gene also disrupted the cellular machinery by which neurons communicate with each other.

(Schizophrenia risk gene linked to cognitive deficits in mice, National Institutes of Health)

This is effectively the plant cells communicating their timing with neighbouring cells, in a similar way to how schools of fish and flocks of birds coordinate their movements by interacting with their neighbours.

(Plants can tell time even without a brain, University of Cambridge)

The spacecraft, which has been flying for 40 years, relies on small devices called thrusters to orient itself so it can communicate with Earth.

(Voyager 1 Fires Up Thrusters After 37 Years, NASA)

This leads to the death of neurons, which stops them from communicating with each other and from reaching the muscles.

(Mechanism behind neuron death in motor neurone disease and frontotemporal dementia discovered, University of Cambridge)

It will again emphasize the theme of November—travel and your superb ability to communicate effectively, something people around you are starting to recognize in you.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

These were just two examples of changes in breathing caused by manipulating the way astrocytes communicate with neighboring cells.

(Star-like cells may help the brain tune breathing rhythms, National Institutes of Health)

Many of these genes are involved in how brain cells (or neurons) communicate with each other.

(Scientists link genes to brain anatomy in autism, University of Cambridge)

Nonetheless, its close approach to Earth is an opportunity to test the ability of a growing global observing network to communicate and coordinate its optical and radar observations in a real scenario.

(Asteroid Tracking Network Observes Close Approach, NASA)