Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1500-1600
Language: Latin
Origin: , past participle of communicare 'to give information, take part', from communis; COMMON1


Related topics: Illness and Disability
com‧mu‧ni‧cate S3 W3

exchange information

[intransitive and transitive] to exchange information or conversation with other people, using words, signs, writing etc:
We communicated mostly by e-mail.
communicate with
People use more than words when they communicate with each other.
communicate something to somebody
The decision was communicated to our staff late in 1998.

tell people something

[intransitive and transitive] to express your thoughts and feelings clearly, so that other people understand them:
A baby communicates its needs by crying.
communicate something to somebody
Without meaning to, she communicated her anxiety to her child.
His enthusiasm communicated itself to the voters.
A teacher must be able to communicate effectively to students.


[intransitive] if two people communicate, they are able to talk about and understand each other's feelings or desires:
Many couples make themselves miserable by not communicating.
communicate with
Parents sometimes find it difficult to communicate with their teenage children.


[transitive usually passive] to pass a disease from one person or animal to another [↪ communicable]


[intransitive] if rooms or parts of a building communicate, you can get directly to one from the other:
communicating doors

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