transmission
noun
trans·mis·sion
tran(t)s-ˈmi-shən 
tranz-
tranz-
1
: an act, process, or instance of transmitting
transmission of a nerve impulse across a synapse
2
: the passage of radio waves in the space between transmitting and receiving stations
also
: the act or process of transmitting by radio or television
3
: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the driveshaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a live axle
also
: the speed-changing gears in such an assembly
4
: something that is transmitted : message
Did you know?
Since trans- means "across", it's not hard to see the meaning of transmission. Disease transmission occurs when an infection passes from one living thing to another. TV signal transmission can be interrupted by tree leaves, including moving leaves and branches during a storm. Your car's transmission transmits the engine's power to the axle, changing the gears to keep the engine working with maximum efficiency at various speeds.
Examples of transmission in a Sentence
The equipment is used for the transmission of television signals.
We are receiving a live transmission from the scene of the accident.
the transmission of knowledge from one generation to the next
My car has a manual transmission.
This car comes with automatic transmission.
Recent Examples on the Web
Because dams aren’t necessarily near cities, Brazil built an extensive transmission system creating an integrated network.
—
Justin Worland, Time, 2 May 2025
One is related to the Covid-19 pandemic: More people were wearing masks, isolating and taking precautions that reduced transmission of all respiratory illnesses.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 1 May 2025
As Pan-Africanism attempted to capture the world’s attention—stratifying and multiplying across the space and decades of modernism—new media, with its possibility for amplification and electronic transmission, proved essential.
—Delinda Collier, Artforum, 1 May 2025
Video of flames at the base of an Edison transmission tower in Eaton Canyon on the night the fire began raised suspicions that the utility’s equipment was at fault.
—Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for transmission
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Justin Worland, Time, 2 May 2025
One is related to the Covid-19 pandemic: More people were wearing masks, isolating and taking precautions that reduced transmission of all respiratory illnesses.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 1 May 2025
As Pan-Africanism attempted to capture the world’s attention—stratifying and multiplying across the space and decades of modernism—new media, with its possibility for amplification and electronic transmission, proved essential.
—Delinda Collier, Artforum, 1 May 2025
Video of flames at the base of an Edison transmission tower in Eaton Canyon on the night the fire began raised suspicions that the utility’s equipment was at fault.
—Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for transmission
Cite this Entry
“Transmission.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transmission. Accessed 10 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
transmission
noun
trans·mis·sion
tran(t)s-ˈmish-ən
tranz-
tranz-
1
: an act, process, or example of transmitting
2
: the passage of radio waves in the space between transmitting and receiving stations
3
: the gears by which the power is transmitted from the engine to the axle that gives motion to a motor vehicle
4
: something transmitted
Medical Definition
transmission
noun
trans·mis·sion
tran(t)s-ˈmish-ən
tranz-
tranz-
: an act, process, or instance of transmitting
transmission of HIV
synaptic transmission
Legal Definition
transmission
noun
trans·mis·sion
tranz-ˈmi-shən, trans-
: an act, process, or instance of transmitting
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