What does communicating mean?
Communicating is the present participle and gerund of the verb "to communicate," which means to convey information, ideas, or feelings to another person, or more broadly to transmit something such as a signal or a disease. Its core sense today involves human exchange: people communicating face to face, by phone, in writing, or online. The word carries a positive connotation of openness and connection, which is why phrases like "communicating openly" appear so often in advice about relationships and workplaces; conversely, being poor at communicating suggests misunderstanding or distance. Beyond the personal sphere, communicating describes technical transmission too — diseases communicating between hosts, or heat communicating between bodies — though these uses sound more formal or scientific. Derived ultimately from the Latin communicare, meaning "to share" or "to make common," the word reminds us that successful communication always creates common ground between those involved.
verbThe present participle and gerund of the verb "communicate": to share or exchange information, news, ideas, or feelings with others, whether by speaking, writing, or other means; also to transmit a signal, disease, or heat between people or things.
- To share or exchange information, thoughts, or feelings with others through speech, writing, or other means.
- To pass on or transmit something such as a disease, signal, or heat from one person or thing to another.
- (Of two rooms or spaces) to be connected or adjoin each other.
"She spent the morning communicating her findings to the research team."
"Good managers excel at communicating expectations clearly to their teams."
"The infection spreads by communicating easily in crowded spaces."
From Latin communicare, meaning literally "to make common" — every time you communicate, you're building shared ground with another mind.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of communicating
"Communicating" derives from the Latin verb communicare, meaning "to share, impart, or make common," itself built on communicare's root communis, meaning "common" or "shared." The English verb "communicate" entered the language around the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance period, initially carrying senses of sharing or partaking before developing its modern emphasis on conveying information. It shares this Latin root with words like "common," "community," "communion," and "communication," all pointing back to the idea of shared experience.
Related word forms
How communicating is actually used
As a gerund, "communicating" often functions as a noun phrase subject ("Communicating well takes practice"). In everyday use it strongly connotes interpersonal exchange, so using it for impersonal transmission (diseases, signals) can sound technical or formal. The sense of adjoining rooms is chiefly British and increasingly rare.
Easily confused with communicating
"Communicating" is the ongoing action of exchanging information (a verb form), while "communicative" is an adjective describing someone who is willing or eager to talk.