What does comm mean?
"Comm" is an informal abbreviation of "communication" (or "communications"), widely used in military, aviation, information-technology, and gaming circles to refer to messages, transmissions, or the channels through which contact is maintained. It frequently appears in plural form as "comms", as when engineers say they have "lost comms" with a spacecraft or soldiers coordinate over a "secure comm channel". The word carries a clipped, professional tone associated with operational settings rather than everyday conversation, which makes it feel at home in technical briefings and mission logs but out of place in formal prose, where "communication" remains the preferred form. Though modest in appearance, "comm" belongs to a large family descended from Latin "communicare", meaning to share or make common, alongside words like "communicate", "community", and "common". For readers encountering jargon-heavy fields, knowing "comm" helps decode shorthand that appears constantly in news reports about space missions, military operations, and network outages.
nounAn informal abbreviation of 'communication' or 'communications', used especially in technical, military, and workplace jargon to refer to messages or channels of contact.
- A message or transmission sent between people or systems.
- The channel or link through which contact is maintained (as in 'the comm went down').
"The pilot reported losing comm with the control tower."
"We lost comms with the lander for nearly an hour before the signal returned."
"Keep all team comms in one thread so nothing gets missed."
The plural 'comms' is the most common form in practice, referring collectively to messages or communication channels.
"All comms were cut off during the storm."
In aviation and the military, 'losing comm' is such a big deal that whole protocols exist just to get it back.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of comm
As an abbreviation, 'comm' derives directly from the English noun 'communication', itself borrowed from Latin 'communicatio', built on the verb 'communicare' ('to share, make common'), rooted in 'communis' ('shared, common'). The shortened form arose in twentieth-century military and technical jargon, where clipping long operational terms was standard practice, and spread through aviation, computing, and gaming vocabulary.
Related word forms
How comm is actually used
Informal and register-specific: common in military, aviation, IT, and gaming slang. Often pluralized as 'comms'. Avoid in formal writing, where 'communication' should be used.
Easily confused with comm
'Calm' means peaceful or tranquil, while 'comm' is an abbreviation for communication.
A 'comb' is a toothed tool for hair, whereas 'comm' is shorthand for communication; they differ in spelling despite some phonetic similarity.