transportation

noun

trans·​por·​ta·​tion ˌtran(t)s-pər-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce transportation (audio)
Synonyms of transportationnext
1
: an act, process, or instance of transporting or being transported
2
a
: means of conveyance or travel from one place to another
b
: public conveyance of passengers or goods especially as a commercial enterprise
3
: banishment to a penal colony
transportational
ˌtran(t)s-pər-ˈtā-sh(ə-)nəl How to pronounce transportation (audio)
adjective

Synonyms of transportation

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of transportation in a Sentence

the transportation of troops overseas She arranged for the transportation of her furniture to her new apartment. He was the U.S. Secretary of Transportation under President Reagan.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Maybe that's the test worth applying to any transportation company waving a green flag this summer. — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026 The Charlotte City Council is expected to discuss the I-77 South toll project in its transportation committee on Monday. — Dj Simmons august 1, Charlotte Observer, 1 Aug. 2026 The central question was not only who could build them fastest or cheapest, but who could be trusted to carry sensitive data across commerce, finance, health care, energy, transportation, and defense. — Keith Krach, Fortune, 1 Aug. 2026 From immigration and transportation to housing, public safety and energy policy, decisions made in Washington often have immediate consequences here. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 1 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for transportation

Word History

First Known Use

1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of transportation was in 1540

Phrases Containing transportation

Rhymes for transportation

See All Rhymes for transportation

Browse Nearby Words

transportal
transportation
transportational
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Transportation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transportation. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

transportation

noun
trans·​por·​ta·​tion ˌtran(t)s-pər-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce transportation (audio)
1
: an act, process, or instance of transporting or being transported
2
: exile to a penal colony
3
a
: a means or method of transport
was left without transportation when the car died
b
: the public transporting of passengers or goods usually for a price

More from Merriam-Webster on transportation

Nglish: Translation of transportation for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of colloquial

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All