what is the definition of communication
Communication is the process of sharing information, ideas, feelings, or messages between a sender and a receiver in a way that creates understanding.
What is the definition of communication?
In simple terms, communication is the process of transmitting information from one person or group to another through spoken or written words, gestures, symbols, or other channels. It always involves at least a sender, a message, a channel (the way the message travels), and a receiver who interprets or “decodes” the message. Many scholars also emphasize that true communication is not just sending information, but creating shared meaning and understanding between people.
A concise exam-style definition you can use:
Communication is the process of sending and receiving information, ideas, or feelings between individuals or groups through verbal or non-verbal means to create shared understanding.
Key elements in most definitions
- Sender : The person or source who originates the idea, thought, or feeling and encodes it into a message.
- Message : The actual information, idea, or emotion that is being communicated.
- Channel / Medium : The means used to carry the message, such as speech, writing, phone, email, or body language.
- Receiver : The person or group who gets the message and decodes or interprets it.
- Feedback : The receiver’s response that shows whether the message was understood (a nod, a reply, an email back, etc.).
- Context and noise : The situation, culture, and any interference (noise, distractions, misunderstandings) that affect how clearly the message is understood.
Types of communication (brief)
You didn’t ask, but it often comes with the definition, so here’s a quick scoop:
- Verbal communication – Using spoken or written words (conversation, lectures, emails, texts).
- Non-verbal communication – Using body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, eye contact, posture, and appearance.
- Formal vs informal communication – Official channels (reports, meetings) versus casual talk (chats with friends or colleagues).
- Interpersonal and group communication – One-to-one, one-to-many, or within teams and organizations.
Same idea, different wordings
Different sources phrase the definition in slightly different ways, but they all circle the same core idea:
- “The actionable transfer of information from one person, group, or place to another.”
- “The process of exchanging information between individuals or groups.”
- “Commonly defined as the transmission of information.”
- “The activity or process of expressing ideas and feelings or of giving people information.”
- “The process of sharing information, especially when this increases understanding between people or groups.”
Across all of these, the essential theme is: sharing information in a way that lets people understand one another.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.