Communicating

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /kəˈmjuː.nɪ.keɪ.tɪŋ/

Definitions

1. The process involving the exchange of information and ideas through spoken, written, or visual means
2. Engaging in sharing thoughts, emotions, and messages via various communication channels
3. The act of conveying information and emotions between individuals using methods such as speech, writing, or visual cues

Etymology: "Communicating" is simply the present participle or gerund of "communicate" with the suffix "-ing" attached. The verb "communicate" comes from the Latin "communicare," meaning to share, impart, or make common, built on "communis" ("common"). The "-ing" ending traces back much further than the Latin root: its ancestor appears in Proto-Indo-European and Proto-Germanic, then passes through Old English "-ende" and Middle English "-ynge" before settling into the modern form. The core idea is therefore one of making something shared. To communicate was originally to make a thing common to several people, which is why the Latin root sits so close to "common" itself. The sense of sharing information developed from that notion of putting something into common circulation.

Synonyms: conveying, transmitting, informing, relaying, discussing

Antonyms: withholding, silencing, concealing, ignoring, muffling