Dictionary

communicate en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/

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.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To impart. ▸ To impart or transmit (information or knowledge) to someone; to make known, to tell.
   • It is vital that I communicate this information to you.
2. (transitive) To impart. ▸ To impart or transmit (an intangible quantity, substance); to give a share of.
   • Did ye not knovv that I ought to be ib my fathers houſe? that is, there vvhere God is vvorſhipped, vvhere he communicates his bleſſing and holy influences, there and there only vve are ſure to meet our deareſt Lord. 1660, Jeremy Taylor, “The Introduction”, in The Worthy Communicant or A Discourse of the Nature, Effects, and Blessings Consequent to the Worthy Receiving of the Lords Supper […], London: […] R. Norton for John Martyn, James Allestry, and Thomas Dicas […], published 1661, →OCLC, page 2:
   • to communicate motion by means of a crank
3. (transitive) To impart. ▸ To pass on (a disease) to another person, animal etc.
   • The disease was mainly communicated via rats and other vermin.
4. (obsolete, transitive) To share ▸ To share (in); to have in common, to partake of.
   • thousands that communicate our loss 1603 (first performance), Ben[jamin] Jonson, Seianus His Fall, London: […] G[eorge] Elld, for Thomas Thorpe, published 1605, →OCLC, (please specify the page):
   • We shall now consider those functions of intelligence which man communicates with the higher beasts.
5. (intransitive) To share ▸ To receive the bread and wine at a celebration of the Eucharist; to take part in Holy Communion.
   • It seems that now [the Devil] was driving Alison hard. She had been remiss of late—fewer souls sent to hell, less zeal in quenching the Spirit, and, above all, the crowning offense that her bairn had communicated in Christ's kirk. 1899 January – 1902 January, John Buchan, “The Watcher by the Threshold”, in The Watcher by the Threshold, and Other Tales, Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, published 1902, →OCLC, page 213:
   • 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. 1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society, published 2012, page 148:
6. (transitive) To share ▸ To administer the Holy Communion to (someone).
   • [W]hen ſhe [the church] can underſtand that ſuch an emendation is made, and the man is really reformed, ſhe can pronounce him pardon'd, or vvhich is all one, ſhe may communicate him. 1660, Jeremy Taylor, “Of Repentance Preparatory to the Blessed Sacrament. Sect[ion] V. What Significations of Repentance are to be Accepted by the Church in Admission of Penitents to the Communion.”, in The Worthy Communicant or A Discourse of the Nature, Effects, and Blessings Consequent to the Worthy Receiving of the Lords Supper […], London: […] R. Norton for John Martyn, James Allestry, and Thomas Dicas […], published 1661, →OCLC, pages 475–476:
7. (intransitive) To share ▸ To express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means; to have intercourse, to exchange information.
   • I feel I hardly know him; I just wish he'd communicate with me a little more.
   • Many deaf people communicate with sign language.
8. (intransitive) To share ▸ 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.
   • There was a door in the kitchen, communicating with the forge; […] 1860 December – 1861 August, Charles Dickens, chapter II, in Great Expectations […], volume I, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published October 1861, →OCLC, page 29:
   • A scheme of internal staircases and upper stories enabled the rooms built upon this eastern slope to communicate with the Central Court on the crown of the hill. 1907, Ronald M. Burrows, The Discoveries In Crete, page 7:

Forms

Deriveds

uncommunicating · incommunicated · recommunicate · noncommunicating · uncommunicated · miscommunicate · telecommunicate · communicator · intercommunicate · overcommunicate · communicatee · communicatingly · incommunicating · communicatable

Hyponyms

complain · assert · recite · pronounce · announce · SMS · argue · read · restate · specify · inform · shout · decree · describe · state · talk · profer · maintain · enounce · whisper · say · instruct · avow · gesticulate · declare · repeat · explain · set forth · listen · echo · write · telephone · prescribe · breathe

Relateds

communion · excommunicate · communication

Synonyms

communicate · articulate · outspeak · express · common · portray · share · utter · make known · put · convey

Translations (127)

bg пренасям (to pass on (a disease) to another person, animal etc.) · it comunicare (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · ja 通じる (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · fi ilmaista (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · fr se communiquer (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · fi viestiä (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · enm comunen (to share (in); to have in common, to partake of) · pl porozumiewać się (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · de kommunizieren (to receive or take part in Holy Communion) · enm comunen (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · be паве́даміць (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · hy հաղորդել (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · ja 連絡をとる (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · hu átad (to impart or transmit (to another); to give a share of) · ru передава́ть (to impart or transmit (to another); to give a share of) · ms berkomunikasi (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · gl comungar (to receive or take part in Holy Communion) · hu tudomására hoz (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · ru причаща́ться (to receive or take part in Holy Communion) · de übermitteln (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · fi tartuttaa (to pass on (a disease) to another person, animal etc.) · it comunicare (to receive or take part in Holy Communion) · hu megoszt (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · ja 伝える (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · fi viestiä (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · th สื่อสาร (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · ru переда́ть (to impart or transmit (to another); to give a share of) · hu úrvacsorát vesz (to receive or take part in Holy Communion) · pt comunicar (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · fi keskustella (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · eo komuniki (to impart or transmit (to another); to give a share of) · sv kommunicera (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · sv kommunicera (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · ru передава́ть (to share (in); to have in common, to partake of) · ga cuir in iúl (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · hu közöl (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · de übertragen (to pass on (a disease) to another person, animal etc.) · es compartir (to share (in); to have in common, to partake of) · fi yhdistää (to be connected with) · ru уведомля́ть (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · fi olla yhteydessä (to be connected with) · hu egymásba nyílik (to be connected with) · hu tudat (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · fr communiquer (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · hu megmond (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · it comunicare (to be connected with) · hu közvetít (to impart or transmit (to another); to give a share of) · eo komunikiĝi (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · ga Comaoineach a ghlacadh (to receive or take part in Holy Communion) · de in Verbindung stehen (to be connected with) · rup cumnic (to receive or take part in Holy Communion) · pt comunicar (to impart or transmit (to another); to give a share of) · ru сообщи́ть (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · hu osztozik (to share (in); to have in common, to partake of) · enm comunen (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · es comunicar (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · de weitergeben (to impart or transmit (to another); to give a share of) · ko 의사소통하다 (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · vi liên lạc (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · be паведамля́ць (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · ru переда́ть (to share (in); to have in common, to partake of) · de die Kommunion empfangen (to receive or take part in Holy Communion) · hy շփվել (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · hy հաղորդակցվել (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · hu érintkezik (to be connected with) · de sich verständigen (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · it informare (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · eo komuniki (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · ru обща́ться (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · it comunicare (to share (in); to have in common, to partake of) · es comulgar (to receive or take part in Holy Communion) · hu közöl (to impart or transmit (to another); to give a share of) · ro cumineca (to receive or take part in Holy Communion) · bg съобща́вам (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · ms berkomunikasi (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · it essere collegato (to be connected with) · de übermitteln (to impart or transmit (to another); to give a share of) · fi välittää (to impart or transmit (to another); to give a share of) · cs komunikovat (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · de kommunizieren (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · nl communiceren (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · de kommunizieren (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · bg причастя́вам се (to receive or take part in Holy Communion) · pl przekazywać (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · ru уве́домить (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · fi kommunikoida (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · bg предава́м (to impart or transmit (to another); to give a share of) · pl przekazać (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · de verbunden sein (to be connected with) · ru причасти́ться (to receive or take part in Holy Communion) · da kommunikere (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · hu továbbít (to impart or transmit (to another); to give a share of) · nl communiceren (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · fi osallistua ehtoolliselle (to receive or take part in Holy Communion) · oc comenjar (to receive or take part in Holy Communion) · fi kommunikoida (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · fi tiedottaa (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · hu összekapcsolódik (to be connected with) · pt comunicar (to share (in); to have in common, to partake of) · hu kommunikál (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · fi ilmoittaa (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · hu áldozik (to receive or take part in Holy Communion) · de kundtun (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · de überbringen (to impart or transmit (to another); to give a share of) · nl meedelen (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · it comunicare (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · ru сообща́ть (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · de an der Kommunion teilnehmen (to receive or take part in Holy Communion) · hu érintkezik (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · cmn 溝通 /沟通 (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · nl mededelen (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · de teilen (to share (in); to have in common, to partake of) · de weitertragen (to impart or transmit (to another); to give a share of) · bg общувам (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · ga iompair (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · hu elmond (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · hu kapcsolódik (to be connected with) · pl porozumieć się (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · es comunicar (to share (in); to have in common, to partake of) · fr communier (to receive or take part in Holy Communion) · ca combregar (to receive or take part in Holy Communion) · pt comunicar (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · ar تَفَاهَمَ (to express or convey ideas, either through verbal or nonverbal means) · it trasmettere (to impart or transmit (to another); to give a share of) · hu átad (to pass on (a disease) to another person, animal etc.) · de mitteilen (to impart information or knowledge of; to make known, to tell) · pt comungar (to receive or take part in Holy Communion)

wikipedia: English · wikipedia: Middle French

communicate en · ADJ · etymology 2

Etymology

From Middle English communicate, an adapted borrowing of Latin commūnicātus (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), perfect passive participle of commūnicō (“to make commune”).

Meanings

1. (obsolete) Communicated, (made) commune, joined.
   • Art..gives a natural scope, and lasting experience, to Genius. Artists are men of a communicate genius. 1893, W. Allingham, Varieties in Prose, volume III., page 260:
   • The property of the manhood is communicate with the other nature. 1561, T. Norton, translation of J. Calvin, Institution of Christian Religion (1634), volume ii. xiv., page 226:

Forms

Relateds

incommunicado · excommunicate