Library / English Dictionary

COMMUNICATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Transmit thoughts or feelings

Example:

He communicated his anxieties to the psychiatrist

Synonyms:

communicate; intercommunicate

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

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"):

speak; talk (exchange thoughts; talk with)

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)

whistle (utter or express by whistling)

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)

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

gab; yak (talk profusely)

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)

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

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)

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

Sentence frames:

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

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 2

Meaning:

Transmit information

Example:

pass along the good news

Synonyms:

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

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

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

communicate; convey; transmit (transfer to another)

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

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)

relay (pass along)

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:

communicatory (able or tending to communicate)

communicator (a person who communicates with others)

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 3

Meaning:

Receive Communion, in the Catholic church

Synonyms:

commune; communicate

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:

communicate (administer Communion; in church)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

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

Sense 4

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 5

Meaning:

Be in verbal contact; interchange information or ideas

Example:

Do you communicate well with your advisor?

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

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:

Join or connect

Example:

The rooms communicated

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

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 7

Meaning:

Transfer to another

Example:

communicate a disease

Synonyms:

communicate; convey; transmit

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

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)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Now that Dawn can reliably communicate with Earth again, mission controllers have programmed the maneuvers necessary for the next stage of the rendezvous, which they label the Ceres approach phase.

(Dawn Spacecraft Begins Approach to Dwarf Planet Ceres, NASA)

These allow T cells to communicate with other cells and coordinate the immune response.

(Autoimmune Disease Super-Regulators Uncovered, NIH)

It causes the brain’s nerve cells to lose their ability to function and communicate with each other, and eventually die.

(Alzheimer’s protein may have natural antibiotic role, NIH)

He had communicated the stuff of fancy and feeling from out of his brain.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

I did not attempt to shout, but communicated the news to Wolf Larsen by waving my arm.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

With the passing of the sentence a feeling of relief seemed to communicate itself to all of them. Especially was it noticeable in Dennin.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

If you will let me have his lordship's address I will consult the House on the subject, and will, in any case, communicate with his lordship by to-night's post.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

I had never seen her since, but she had communicated with Mr. Peggotty on several occasions.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

He was surprised at the eagerness which animated the whole team and which was communicated to him; but still more surprising was the change wrought in Dave and Sol-leks.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

If not, I should much prefer to communicate with you alone.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)