Definition of communicate verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

communicate

verb

/kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they communicate	/kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/ /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/
he / she / it communicates	/kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪts/ /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪts/
past simple communicated	/kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪtɪd/ /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪtɪd/
past participle communicated	/kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪtɪd/ /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪtɪd/
-ing form communicating	/kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪtɪŋ/ /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪtɪŋ/

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exchange information

[intransitive, transitive] to share or exchange information, news, ideas, feelings, etc.

We only communicate by email.
They communicated in sign language.
Candidates must be able to communicate effectively.
communicate with somebody/something Dolphins use sound to communicate with each other.
Direct marketing allows a firm to communicate directly with its customers.
communicate something In times of uncertainty, a leader must be able to communicate a message of hope.
Language evolved as a means of communicating information between individuals.
communicate something to somebody He was eager to communicate his ideas to the group.
Her nervousness was communicating itself to the children.
communicate how/what, etc… They failed to communicate what was happening and why.

Synonyms talktalkdiscuss ▪ speak ▪ communicate ▪ debate ▪ consultThese words all mean to share news, information, ideas or feelings with another person or other people, especially by talking with them.talk to speak in order to give information, express feelings or share ideas:

We talked on the phone for over an hour.

discuss (rather formal) to talk and share ideas on a subject or problem with other people, especially in order to decide something:

Have you discussed the problem with anyone?

You cannot say ‘discuss about something’: I’m not prepared to discuss about this on the phone. speak to talk to somebody about something; to have a conversation with somebody:

I’ve spoken to the manager about it.
‘Can I speak to Susan?’ ‘Speaking.’ (= at the beginning of a phone conversation)

talk or speak?Speak can suggest a more formal level of communication than talk. You speak to somebody about something to try to achieve a particular goal or to tell them to do something. You talk to somebody in order to be friendly or to ask their advice: Have you talked to your parents about the problems you’re having? • I’ve spoken to Ed about it and he’s promised not to let it happen again. communicate (rather formal) to exchange information or ideas with somebody:

We only communicate by email.
Dolphins use sound to communicate with each other.

Communicate is often used when the speaker wants to draw attention to the means of communication used.debate to discuss something, especially formally, before making a decision or finding a solution:

Politicians will be debating the bill later this week.

consult (rather formal) to discuss something with somebody in order to get their permission for something, or to help you make a decision:

You shouldn’t have done it without consulting me.

Patterns

to talk/discuss something/speak/communicate/debate/consult with somebody
to talk/speak to somebody
to talk/speak to somebody/consult somebody about something
to talk/speak of something

Extra Examples

By this age most children have begun to communicate verbally.
Newspapers are an important way of communicating information.
She is unable to communicate her ideas to other people.
We communicated through an interpreter.
We usually communicate by letter.
Nobody had communicated the information to us.

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb

clearly
effectively
successfully
…

preposition

by
through
to
…

See full entry

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in a relationship

[intransitive] to have a good relationship because you are able to understand and talk about your own and other people’s thoughts, feelings, etc.

His inability to communicate has damaged their relationship beyond repair.
communicate with somebody The novel is about a family who can't communicate with each other.
couples who communicate well with one another

disease

[transitive, usually passive] communicate something to pass a disease from one person, animal, etc. to another

The disease is communicated through dirty drinking water.

of two rooms

[intransitive] if two rooms communicate, they are next to each other and you can get from one to the other

a communicating door (= one that connects two rooms)

Word Originearly 16th cent.: from Latin communicat- ‘shared’, from the verb communicare ‘to share’, from communis ‘common’.

See communicate in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee communicate in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English

Check pronunciation: communicate

Nearby words

given

adjective

From the Word list

OPAL spoken words

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