What does communicably mean?
"Communicably" is the adverb form of "communicable," meaning in such a way that something can be transmitted, conveyed, or passed from one person or thing to another. Its most familiar use relates to disease: an illness that spreads communicably can be caught by others, whether through air, contact, or another route of transmission. The word also has an older, broader sense in which qualities, rights, or truths are described as communicably transferable — as when a property, office, or idea can be handed on from one holder to another. In modern English it is genuinely rare and distinctly formal, appearing mainly in medical, legal, and historical writing rather than conversation, where speakers would more naturally say that something 'can be spread' or 'can be passed on.' Derived from the Latin communis, meaning common or shared, it belongs to the same family as communicate, community, and communion, all built around the idea of making things common between people.
adverbIn a communicable manner; so as to be capable of being transmitted, conveyed, or communicated from one person or thing to another. It is a rare adverbial form used chiefly in medical, legal, and formal contexts.
- So as to be capable of being transmitted, especially of a disease spreading between people.
- In a manner that allows information or ideas to be conveyed or imparted.
"The disease proved communicably transmissible through casual contact, prompting an immediate quarantine."
"The pathogen spreads communicably through airborne droplets."
"The doctrine was held to be communicably true — something one mind could pass fully to another."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of communicably
"Communicably" derives from "communicable," which comes from Late Latin communicabilis, from communicare, 'to make common, share,' ultimately rooted in communis, 'common, public.' English adopted "communicable" in the late Middle Ages (attested from the late 14th century) in both its senses — able to be transmitted, and able to be imparted — with the adverb forming later by regular derivation. It shares this root with communicate, community, communion, and communism, all tracing back to the Latin notion of sharing or holding in common.
Related word forms
How communicably is actually used
A rare and markedly formal word; in everyday writing, phrases such as 'in a way that can be transmitted' are far more common than 'communicably'. It appears mostly in older legal, theological, and medical prose.
Easily confused with communicably
'Communally' means shared by a community or done for communal benefit, whereas 'communicably' means capable of being transmitted or communicated.