telecommunicationn.
/ˌtɛlᵻkəˌmjuːnᵻˈkeɪʃn/, U.S. /ˌtɛləkəˌmjunəˈkeɪʃən/ 1. The transmission or exchange of information over a distance using electrical, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic signals, as by telegraph, telephone, radio, television, (in later use) the internet, etc.In quot. 1904: spec. communication using electromagnetic waves as opposed to electrical signals carried over a wire.
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society > communication > telecommunication > [noun]
telecommunication1904
communication1932
telecom1953
1904 J. A. Westmore tr. E. Guarini in Electricity 20 Apr. 213/1 Fixing in a concise way the present status for the possible conditions to be met in the practical development of tele–communication.
1932 Observer 11 Sept. 12/5 Many big things are expected in what may be called the ‘world of telecommunication’.
1953 Sci. News 30 70 One has only to consider the field of automatic telecommunication to accept the process [sc. electrical manipulation of information] as commonplace.
1986 S. Louvish Death of Moishe-Ganef 181 I heard Zaki making..doomed attempts at telecommunication. Finally I heard him say: ‘I'll wait for the call.’
2004 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 29 Aug. v. 14/2 Global telecommunication is changing so quickly that it is hard to know what's best.
2. In plural. Communication over a distance by means of telephone, radio, (in later use) the internet, etc.; the systems, equipment, technology, or industry connected to this.With plural or (in later use also) singular agreement.
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1932 Constit.-Tribune (Chillicothe, Missouri) 4 Nov. 4/4 The American users of telecommunications abroad so far have not been able to obtain American diplomatic support for complaints they may have made regarding violation of that convention.
1944 Times 21 July 3/4 Resistance groups in Belgium have..been engaged in the systematic destruction of railways, road bridges, telecommunications, [etc.].
1951 A. Martienssen Crime & Police 96 All the ordinary developments in telecommunications can be applied to police work.
1957 Technology July 187/2 The possible applications of solar batteries in telecommunications.
1976 C. G. Knight & J. L. Newman Contemp. Afr. v. 340 As with air travel, telecommunications are good with the outside world but most inadequate inside Africa.
1993 J. Kay Found. Corporate Success iv. xii. 199 Telecommunications has been transformed by fibre optic cables, digital switching equipment, and satellites.
2006 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 8 Oct. iii. 30/5 Mr. Walker of Gartmore has moved cash into all-weather sectors like telecommunications, utilities and retailing.
3. A message sent by telecommunication. rare.
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1962 Post-Standard (Syracuse, N.Y.) 24 June 11/1 In a historic telecommunication to General Clay his bosses in Washington suggested that as a first step the dependents of American personnel in Berlin be sent back to the United States.
1987 J. Silman Enough is Enough v. 211 The Union (of New Brunswick Indians) had sent a telecommunication just that afternoon saying, ‘We want this bill stopped right away.’
Compounds
General attributive. C1. With first element in singular form (cf. sense 1).
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1911 Illuminating Engineer 4 561/1 Telecommunication signals..are intended to telegraph, in an optical form, by means of short or long flashes, the letters of the Morse alphabet.
1971 F. J. M. Laver in B. de Ferranti Living with Computer v. 44 The capture of data at its point of origin, its rapid transmission over telecommunication links, and its filtering and analysis by computers.
2005 J. L. Higle & S. Sen in S. W. Wallace & W. T. Ziemba Applic. Stochastic Programming xvi. 299 Calls may be routed across multiple links in a telecommunication network.
C2. With first element in plural form (cf. sense 2).
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1932 Times 18 Nov. 13/4 The new convention which is being drawn up by the International Telegraph and Radiotelegraph Conference..will be called the International Telecommunications Convention.
1961 Engineering 6 Jan. 33/1 The plan..to put a telecommunications satellite into orbit round the earth.
1969 Guardian 25 June 14/3 In the telecommunications sector, output has expanded from £61 millions to £170 millions.
2012 A. Blum Tubes i. 21 His Flickr page consisted mostly of photos of telecommunications equipment.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1904