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Meaning & use

transmission

noun·Academic

Last updated

UK/trænzˈmɪʃən/
US/trænzˈmɪʃən/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable or uncountable

    The act of sending something, such as a signal, message or electricity, from one place to another.

    Grammar: Uncountable for the process (data transmission) and countable for a single broadcast: a live transmission.

    Patterns

    • the transmission of something
    • transmission from something to something

    The storm interrupted the transmission of the signal.

    Fiber cables allow the fast transmission of data.

    The station ended its transmission at midnight.

  2. noununcountablemedical

    The passing of a disease or other thing from one person, animal or generation to another.

    Grammar: Usually uncountable and followed by of: the transmission of the virus.

    Patterns

    • the transmission of a disease
    • transmission between people

    Washing your hands reduces the transmission of germs.

    Scientists studied the transmission of the virus between animals and people.

    Teaching is part of the transmission of culture to young people.

  3. nouncountabletechnical

    The set of gears and parts in a vehicle that carries power from the engine to the wheels.

    Grammar: Countable, and in American English it covers automatic and manual systems: an automatic transmission.

    Patterns

    • an automatic transmission
    • a manual transmission

    The mechanic said the transmission needed replacing.

    She prefers a car with a manual transmission.

    A grinding noise from the transmission worried him.

  4. nouncountableformal

    A radio or television program, or a message, that is broadcast.

    Grammar: Countable and slightly formal: an evening transmission.

    Patterns

    • a radio transmission
    • a live transmission

    The emergency transmission was picked up by a ship nearby.

    The ship's captain sent a radio transmission asking for help.

    The final transmission from the probe arrived late on Friday.

Word forms

pluraltransmissions

Common combinations

automatic transmission
Most American cars have an automatic transmission.
data transmission
Data transmission slowed when the network was busy.
transmission of a disease
Masks help limit the transmission of disease.
radio transmission
A radio transmission came through the static.
transmission fluid
He checked the transmission fluid before the long drive.

Synonyms and how they differ

broadcast
Broadcast means sending a program to a wide audience, while transmission covers any signal sent from one point to another.
spread
Spread is a plainer word for disease or news moving among people, and transmission sounds more scientific.
conveyance
Conveyance is a formal word for carrying things or people from one place to another, and it is rarely used for signals.
gearbox
Gearbox names just the housing and gears in a vehicle, while transmission often means the whole system, including the connected parts.

Opposites

reception

Word family

transmit verb
to send or pass something on
transmitter noun
a device that sends out signals
transmissible adjective
able to be passed from one person to another
retransmit verb
to send out again

Commonly confused: transmission or transition?

transmission vs transition

A transition is a change from one state to another, while a transmission is the sending or passing of something.

Practice

Which sentence uses 'transmission' in the vehicle sense?

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