Meaning & use
communication gap
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
a failure to share information or understand each other, often between groups or generations
Grammar: Countable; use 'a communication gap' or 'communication gaps'.
Patterns
- a communication gap between people
- bridge a communication gap
- close a communication gap
There is a communication gap between the engineers and the sales team.
The training aims to close the communication gap between managers and new staff.
Parents and teenagers often face a communication gap about social media.
nouncountable
a difference in language or style that makes it hard for people to exchange ideas
Grammar: Countable; often used with 'create' or 'cause'.
Patterns
- create a communication gap
- cause a communication gap
- a communication gap between languages
Using too much technical jargon can create a communication gap with the public.
The translation app helped reduce the communication gap during the meeting.
Word forms
| plural | communication gaps |
|---|
Common combinations
- bridge the communication gap
- The new policy is meant to bridge the communication gap between departments.
- a communication gap between
- A communication gap between parents and children can cause misunderstanding.
- close a communication gap
- Regular meetings can close a communication gap.
- create a communication gap
- Relying only on email can create a communication gap.
Synonyms and how they differ
- misunderstanding
- Misunderstanding is a single failure to understand; communication gap suggests a continuing problem between groups.
- language barrier
- Language barrier is specifically about different languages; communication gap is wider and includes style, culture, or missing information.
- disconnect
- Disconnect is a lack of connection or agreement; communication gap focuses on the flow of information.
Commonly confused: communication gap or generation gap?
communication gap vs generation gap
Generation gap is about differences between age groups; communication gap is about failure to exchange information, which can happen between any groups.
Practice
The company wants to ___ the communication gap between its offices in different countries.
Choose one answer.
'Bridge a gap' is the common collocation meaning to reduce or remove the gap. 'Build' and 'break' do not fit the idea of solving a gap, and 'bring' needs a different pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “communication gap”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.