telecommunication
telecommunication — noun
1. the systems, equipment, and methods used to send information — such as voice, te
the systems, equipment, and methods used to send information — such as voice, text, or video — across great distances using electronic or radio signals
The telecommunications industry has created millions of jobs around the world.
telecommunications industry — field/industry collocation
Inês works for a large telecommunications company in São Paulo.
The new satellite will improve telecommunications across rural areas that currently have poor internet.
Kofi's research focuses on making telecommunications networks safer from cyber attacks.
Advances in telecommunications have made video calls possible from almost any location.
- telecom
informal abbreviation for the field; common in business contexts
- communications technology
broader term that includes non-electronic methods; less precise
文法句型
the telecommunications industry/sector/network
telecommunications + singular verb
用法筆記
Often used in the plural form 'telecommunications' even when describing the field as a whole. With this plural form, use a singular verb: 'Telecommunications is a fast-growing sector.'
常見錯誤
2. the process of exchanging information with someone who is far away, using phones
the process of exchanging information with someone who is far away, using phones, radio, satellites, or the internet
After the earthquake, telecommunication was impossible because all the phone lines were damaged.
uncountable noun with singular verb
Shirin uses telecommunication to call her family in Tehran while studying in London.
Modern telecommunication allows doctors in cities to examine patients in remote mountain villages.
Yael's job involves daily telecommunication with clients across three different time zones.
Space missions depend on reliable telecommunication between the spacecraft and ground control.
- remote communication
broader term; can include written letters or non-electronic methods
- long-distance communication
more general and less technical; often used in everyday speech
- telephony
specifically refers to voice communication by telephone; narrower in scope
- face-to-face communication
direct in-person interaction without technological mediation
文法句型
telecommunication + singular verb
by telecommunication
via telecommunication
用法筆記
This sense is uncountable. Do not use 'a telecommunication' to mean one instance of the act — instead use 'a phone call', 'a video call', or specify the medium. 'Telecommunication' without an article refers to the general concept.
常見錯誤
3. a piece of information — such as a voice message, text, or data — sent electroni
a piece of information — such as a voice message, text, or data — sent electronically from one place to another far away
The control room received a telecommunication from the ship requesting urgent help.
countable noun: receive a telecommunication
The telecommunication was cut off mid-sentence when the signal disappeared.
Marta decoded the incoming telecommunication and passed it to the team leader.
The first telecommunication from the Mars rover confirmed that all systems were working.
Technicians in Tokyo traced the disrupted telecommunication to a faulty undersea cable.
- transmission
more common in technical contexts; slightly broader in meaning
- dispatch
formal; often used in military or official communication
文法句型
a telecommunication
receive/send/decode a telecommunication
用法筆記
This countable sense is relatively rare and very formal. In everyday English, 'message' or 'transmission' is far more common. This sense appears mostly in technical, military, or historical contexts.