transmit
B2Neutral to formal; widely used in technical, academic, and everyday contexts.
Definition
Meaning
To send or pass something from one person, place, or thing to another.
To cause something (like a disease, idea, signal, or characteristic) to spread or be conveyed through a medium or space.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies a medium (air, wires, genes) or a process of broadcasting/conveying. The direct object is the thing being sent (data, signal, disease), not the recipient.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Minor spelling in derived forms (transmitted/transmitting).
Connotations
Identical.
Frequency
Slightly more common in American technical/media contexts, but negligible.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
transmit something to somebody/somethingtransmit something from A to Btransmit something over/across/through somethingVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[]”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The server will transmit the financial reports to headquarters by end of day.
Academic
Certain cultural values are transmitted from one generation to the next through storytelling.
Everyday
Make sure your phone is charged; it won't transmit its location if it's dead.
Technical
The new antenna can transmit signals over a distance of 500 kilometres.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The BBC will transmit the match live on Saturday.
- Mosquitoes can transmit malaria.
American English
- The tower transmits the radio signal across the state.
- Parents transmit their beliefs to their children.
adverb
British English
- The data is transmitted securely.
- The signal was transmitted wirelessly.
American English
- Information is transmitted digitally.
- The show is transmitted nationally.
adjective
British English
- The transmit power of the device is adjustable.
- Check the transmit mode settings.
American English
- The transmitter is in a secure location.
- We need a new transmit antenna.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The radio transmits music.
- Some insects transmit diseases.
- The satellite transmits television signals to our homes.
- He transmitted the news to his family.
- The system transmits data in real time with minimal delay.
- Cultural traditions are often transmitted through festivals and rituals.
- The study examined how social biases can be unconsciously transmitted through language.
- The new protocol allows the sensor to transmit encrypted readings even in low-power mode.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of TRANSfer + adMIT → TRANS-MIT. You *admit* something *across* (trans) a space.
Conceptual Metaphor
INFORMATION IS A PHYSICAL OBJECT THAT CAN BE SENT; DISEASES ARE INVADERS THAT TRAVEL.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'передать' in the sense of 'hand over a physical object directly' (use 'hand over').
- Do not use for 'broadcast' (TV/radio) where 'вещать' or 'транслировать' is more specific; 'transmit' is the technical process.
- In IT, it's correct for 'передавать данные'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'transmit' with the recipient as the direct object (e.g., *'transmit me the file' → 'transmit the file to me').
- Confusing 'transmit' with 'transport' (moving physical goods).
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'transmit' INCORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, while common in technology, it's also used for diseases, ideas, feelings, and genetic traits.
'Transfer' often implies moving something from one place/owner to another (e.g., money, a person). 'Transmit' focuses on the process of sending/conveying, especially through a medium (e.g., signals, broadcasts).
Yes, the past simple and past participle are both 'transmitted'. The present participle is 'transmitting'.
Yes, especially in technical contexts (IT, telecommunications). In everyday computing, 'send a file' is more common.