What does transmission mean?
Transmission is the process of sending or passing something from one place, person, or system to another. In communications, it can refer both to the transmission of information and to the individual message or broadcast sent. The term is also used in medicine for the spread of infectious diseases and in engineering for the transfer of power, especially through the mechanism of a vehicle. Transmission is therefore a broad, largely neutral word whose meaning depends on context: it may describe an action, a signal, a process of spread, or a mechanical system. In communications, it is commonly contrasted with reception, the receiving side of the exchange. The word is especially useful when precision matters, since it can distinguish the sending of information or power from its receipt or application.
nounThe act or process of sending or passing something from one place, person, or system to another, especially communications, data, power, or disease. It can also refer to the mechanism in a vehicle that transmits power from the engine to the wheels.
- The act or process of sending or passing on information, signals, data, power, or other material.
- A message, signal, or broadcast sent by means of communications technology.
- The transmission of an infectious disease between people or organisms.
- The mechanism in a vehicle that transmits power from the engine to the wheels.
"The transmission of the disease was prevented through early detection and isolation."
"The transmission of the disease was prevented through early detection and isolation."
"Data transmission was interrupted briefly when the satellite signal was lost."
The plural is used for separate messages or broadcasts, multiple instances of sending or spreading, or multiple vehicle transmission mechanisms.
"The radio transmissions were faint because of the storm."
The same process can deliver a message, spread a disease, or move an engine's power.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does transmission come from?
The English word comes from Latin transmissio, a noun derived from transmittere, “to send across.” That verb combined the prefix trans-, meaning “across,” with mittere, meaning “to send.” English developed related forms such as transmit, transmitter, and transmissible from the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How transmission is actually used
The word is generally neutral and formal. In medicine and public health it commonly denotes the passing of an infectious agent, while in vehicle engineering it refers to the mechanism and sometimes more broadly to the system that delivers engine power.
Easily confused with transmission
A transmission is the process or signal being sent, whereas a transmitter is the device or person that sends it.