What does "transmission" mean?

1. (signals or data) the act of sending out electronic signals, like radio, television, or internet data. 2. (spreading a disease) the way a disease or virus passes from one person to another. 3. (car gearbox) the part of a vehicle that moves power from the engine to the wheels. 4. (legal transfer) the legal right to pass property or money to an heir after death. 5. (passing down culture or text) the way stories, information, or beliefs are passed from one generation to the next.

How do you use "transmission"?

In British English, 'gearbox' is the more common term for this component.

transmission

US //tɹænsˈmɪʃən// UK //tɹænsmˈɪʃən// trans·mis·sion

1 signals or data (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Computing

the act of sending out electronic signals, like radio, television, or internet data.

the process of broadcasting or communicating information via electromagnetic waves or digital signals.

Example

The storm caused a break in the satellite transmission for several minutes.

Example

The encryption protocols ensure that data transmission remains secure even when passing through public networks.
- reception
2 spreading a disease (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Medicine

the way a disease or virus passes from one person to another.

the passing of a pathogen or communicable disease from an infected host to another individual.

Example

Wearing masks can help reduce the transmission of the flu.

Example

Public health officials are monitoring the rate of community transmission to determine if further restrictions are necessary.
- prevention
- containment

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3 car gearbox (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate American English

the part of a vehicle that moves power from the engine to the wheels.

the assembly of gears and associated parts by which power is transmitted from the engine to a driving axle.

Example

The car is making a strange noise because the transmission is broken.

Example

Modern automatic transmissions use sophisticated electronic sensors to optimise gear shifts for fuel efficiency.

Usage

In British English, 'gearbox' is the more common term for this component.
- gearbox
- gears
4 legal transfer (n.)
C1 Advanced Formal Technical Law

the legal right to pass property or money to an heir after death.

the legal transfer of an inheritance, right, or privilege from a deceased person to their successor.

Example

The transmission of the family estate was handled by a team of lawyers.

Example

The treaty governs the transmission of titles and land rights in the event of a monarch's death without a direct heir.
- transfer
- succession
5 passing down culture or text (n.)
C1 Advanced Academic

the way stories, information, or beliefs are passed from one generation to the next.

the process by which cultural knowledge, traditions, or historical texts are preserved and passed through time.

Example

Oral transmission kept these ancient stories alive for hundreds of years.

Example

Scholars study the transmission of Greek philosophy through medieval translations to understand how these ideas reached the modern era.
- handing down
- preservation

Origin

Borrowed from Latin transmissionem (accusative of transmissio), from transmittere.