Communicable

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /kəˈmjuːnɪkəbəl/

Definitions

  1. Able to be transmitted from one person to another, especially regarding disease or infection
  2. Referring to the capacity for diseases or information to be transmitted between individuals in a variety of contexts
  3. Pertaining to the ability of diseases or messages to be conveyed from one individual to another through various means | Relating to the potential for transmission of illnesses or information between people in different situations | Concerning the possibility of spreading diseases or sharing information among individuals across various forms of communication

Etymology: The adjective describing something that can be transmitted, especially diseases, finds its roots in the Latin verb "communicare," meaning "to share" or "to make common." This Latin source itself stems from "communis," meaning "common" or "shared by all." The sense of sharing inherent in these roots sets the stage for the word's evolution toward describing things that pass from one person to another. By the late Middle Ages, the verb entered English as "communicate," carrying the basic sense of imparting or conveying information. The addition of the suffix "-able," which turns verbs into adjectives meaning "capable of" or "susceptible to," transformed the word into one meaning "capable of being communicated or shared." Over time, this developed a more specialized application in medicine and biology, where it came to describe diseases or conditions that can be transmitted between individuals. The first recorded uses of the adjective in English date back to the 17th century, when scientific and medical vocabularies were expanding rapidly. This period saw many classical Latin and Greek roots adapted into English to describe emerging medical concepts. The term was especially useful in distinguishing diseases that spread via contact or other means from those that did not, thus providing a clear linguistic tool for epidemiology. While the original root emphasizes sharing in a broad sense, the term narrowed to a biological context, reflecting a shift from the abstract idea of communication or exchange to a concrete, tangible process: the transmission of illness. This semantic journey mirrors how language often specializes general concepts into technical terms as knowledge advances.

Synonyms: transmissible

Antonyms: noncommunicable