Communicate

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/

Definitions

1. To share information, thoughts, or feelings with others through speaking, writing, gestures, or other means
2. To transmit thoughts, feelings, or information to others using various methods such as speaking, writing, or non-verbal cues
3. To convey ideas, emotions, or information to others by means of verbal, written, or non-verbal methods

Etymology: The verb "communicate" carries an older sense that has nearly disappeared: to share, or to make something common to several people. Its Latin ancestor "commūnicō" meant exactly that, and the root is "commūnis," meaning "common." The modern idea of passing on a message is a later narrowing of that sharing sense, not the original one. The English word was adapted directly from Latin, with the verb-forming ending "-ate" added to the Latin stem. Middle English speakers first borrowed it in its participial form, and it was the same Latin family that produced the French "communiquer." English once also had a near-relative, "communique," borrowed from Middle French, but that form has since dropped out of use. Because "communicate" and "common" share the same Latin root, sharing a thing and conveying a message both grew from the idea of making something held in common.

Synonyms: convey, transmit

Antonyms: withhold