• Communicate

    Pronunciation

    • UK IPA: /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/
    • US IPA: /kəˈmjunÉ™keɪt/

    Origin

    Borrowing from la commūnicātus, perfect passive participle of commūnicō ("share, impart; make common"), from commūnis ("common").

    Full definition of communicate

    Verb

    1. To impart
      1. (transitive) To impart or transmit (information or knowledge) to someone; to make known, to tell. from 16th c.It is vital that I communicate this information to you.
      2. (transitive) To impart or transmit (an intangible quantity, substance); to give a share of. from 16th c.to communicate motion by means of a crank
        • Jeremy TaylorWhere God is worshipped, there he communicates his blessings and holy influences.
      3. (transitive) To pass on (a disease) to another person, animal etc. from 17th c.The disease was mainly communicated via rats and other vermin.
      4. To share
        1. (transitive, obsolete) To share (in); to have in common, to partake of. 16th-19th c.We shall now consider those functions of intelligence which man communicates with the higher beasts.
          • Ben Jonsonthousands that communicate our loss
        2. (intransitive, Christianity) To receive the bread and wine at a celebration of the Eucharist; to take part in Holy Communion. from 16th c.
          • 1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society 2012, p. 148:The ‘better sort’ might communicate on a separate day; and in some parishes even the quality of the communion wine varied with the social quality of the recipients.
        3. (transitive, Christianity) To administer the Holy Communion to (someone). from 16th c.
          • Jeremy TaylorShe church ... may communicate him.
        4. (intransitive) To express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means; to have intercourse, to exchange information. from 16th c.Many deaf people communicate with sign language.I feel I hardly know him; I just wish he'd communicate with me a little more.
        5. (intransitive) To be connected with (another room, vessel etc.) by means of an opening or channel. from 16th c.The living room communicates with the back garden by these French windows.

    Hyponyms

    © Wiktionary