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.
Many of the country’s most spectacular regions have little to no infrastructure, meaning accommodations, supplies, and transportation must all be carefully coordinated. — Gwen Nicol, Travel + Leisure, 29 Aug. 2026 Rebecca Sanders, a national safety practice leader at the transportation consulting firm Fehr & Peers, led a 2019 report at Arizona State University and Toole Design looking at various strategies used across the country to manage speed. — Jeff McMurray, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026 For an undergraduate student living off campus, Detroit Mercy estimates $3,220 for transportation and $10,830 for personal and miscellaneous expenses. — Adrienne Roberts, Freep.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Once the design of the new layout is complete, a spokesperson for the transportation department said, crews will begin taking out the current striping before laying out the new lane configurations. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 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 1 Sep. 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
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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

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

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

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

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All