What does retransmit mean?
Retransmit is a verb meaning to send or transmit something again. The word is especially common in communications, broadcasting, and technical contexts, where a message, signal, interview, or warning may need to be sent a second time. It can also describe passing information from one recipient or location to another, although resend or forward may sound more natural in everyday speech. Retransmit combines the prefix re-, meaning “again,” with transmit, meaning “to send.” Its use often suggests repetition or the deliberate repetition of a transmission to ensure that an intended audience receives it. The related noun retransmission describes the act of sending something again, while the forms retransmitted and retransmitting are the verb’s standard inflected forms.
verbTo transmit or send again, especially a message, signal, or broadcast. It can also mean to relay information from one person or place to another.
- To send or transmit something again.
- To relay or pass on information, especially from one person, organization, or location to another.
"The station retransmitted the interview to listeners who had missed the original broadcast."
"The weather service retransmitted the warning after correcting the forecast time."
"She retransmitted the report to the regional office so that it could be reviewed there."
Retransmit means sending a message twice—but sometimes the second journey is exactly what makes the information reach everyone.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of retransmit
Retransmit was formed in English by combining the prefix re-, meaning “again,” with transmit, a word borrowed from Latin transmittere, meaning “to send across.” The prefix re- was already widely used to indicate repetition before the compound became established. The meaning developed from the general idea of sending again to the more specific practice of relaying messages or broadcasts to additional audiences.
Related word forms
How retransmit is actually used
Retransmit is formal and technical, commonly used with messages, signals, broadcasts, and official reports. In ordinary conversation, resend or forward is usually more natural.
Easily confused with retransmit
To transmit is to send something in the first place, whereas to retransmit is to send it again or pass it on to another recipient.