communication

[kuh-myoo-ni-key-shuh n] /kəˌmyu nɪˈkeɪ ʃən/
noun
1.
the act or process of communicating; fact of being communicated.
2.
the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs.
3.
something imparted, interchanged, or transmitted.
4.
a document or message imparting news, views, information, etc.
5.
passage, or an opportunity or means of passage, between places.
6.
communications.
  1. means of sending messages, orders, etc., including telephone, telegraph, radio, and television.
  2. routes and transportation for moving troops and supplies from a base to an area of operations.
7.
Biology.
  1. activity by one organism that changes or has the potential to change the behavior of other organisms.
  2. transfer of information from one cell or molecule to another, as by chemical or electrical signals.
Origin
1375-1425; Middle English communicacioun < Middle French < Latin commūnicātiōn- (stem of commūnicātiō), equivalent to commūnicāt(us) (see communicate) + -iōn- -ion
Related forms
communicational, adjective
noncommunication, noun
overcommunication, noun
precommunication, noun
self-communication, noun
Examples from the web for communications
  • Unknown to those around him, he was also working on the theory behind information and communications.
  • communications and information-gathering capabilities are either rudimentary or non-existent.
  • We finally are building communications systems that approach the limits defined in that paper.
  • During emergencies, the importance of our country's communications systems becomes clear.
  • Secure wireless-communications systems and sophisticated radar have transformed warfare.
  • Most governments say they are in favour of economic growth and broader access to communications.
  • Sociologists in particular are trying to figure out how mobile communications are changing interactions between people.
  • Now operators are having another go at machine-to-machine communications.
  • Transport and communications links have taken away the sense of remoteness felt by past generations.
  • The effect is bigger in developing countries than developed ones, due to the paucity of existing communications infrastructure.
British Dictionary definitions for communications

communication

/kəˌmjuːnɪˈkeɪʃən/
noun
1.
the act or an instance of communicating; the imparting or exchange of information, ideas, or feelings
2.
something communicated, such as a message, letter, or telephone call
3.
  1. (usually pl; sometimes functioning as singular) the study of ways in which human beings communicate, including speech, gesture, telecommunication systems, publishing and broadcasting media, etc
  2. (as modifier): communication theory
4.
a connecting route, passage, or link
5.
(pl) (military) the system of routes and facilities by which forces, supplies, etc, are moved up to or within an area of operations
Word Origin and History for communications

communication

n.

late 14c., from Old French comunicacion (14c., Modern French communication), from Latin communicationem (nominative communicatio), noun of action from past participle stem of communicare "to share, divide out; communicate, impart, inform; join, unite, participate in," literally "to make common," from communis (see common (adj.)).

communications in Medicine

communication com·mu·ni·ca·tion (kə-myōō'nĭ-kā'shən)
n.

  1. The exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, signals, writing, or behavior.

  2. An opening or a connecting passage between two structures.

  3. A joining or connecting of solid fibrous structures, such as tendons and nerves.