transmitter

transmitter — noun

1. a device that sends out radio waves or electronic signals so that sound, images,

1.nounB1
Definition

a device that sends out radio waves or electronic signals so that sound, images, or data can be received by others, often across long distances

Example

The radio transmitter on the hill sends news programmes to listeners across the whole region.

collocation: radio transmitter / television transmitter

Nicholas climbed the tower to repair the transmitter after the storm damaged its antenna.

Common collocations
  • radio transmitter
  • television transmitter
  • TV transmitter
  • signal transmitter
  • transmitter tower
  • transmitter station
  • powerful transmitter
Synonyms
  • broadcaster

    refers to the person or organization that operates the transmitter, not the device itself; e.g. 'a radio broadcaster' means the station, not the equipment

  • sender

    a more general term for any person or device that sends something; less technical than transmitter

  • beacon

    a type of transmitter that sends a continuous or regular signal, often for navigation or warning purposes

Antonyms
  • receiver

    a device that captures signals sent by a transmitter and converts them into sound, images, or data

Usage Note

The transmitter sends signals out; the receiver picks them up. In everyday use, transmitter most often refers to radio or television broadcast equipment, though it can also apply to any device that emits a signal (e.g. a Wi‑Fi router or a walkie‑talkie).

Common Mistakes

The remote control transmitter sends sound to the TV.
The remote control transmitter sends signals to the TV.
transmitters send electronic signals, not sound waves directly.

2. a person, animal, or thing that carries something — such as information, a disea

2.nounB2
Definition

a person, animal, or thing that carries something — such as information, a disease, a tradition, or an electrical signal — from one place, group, or individual to another

Example

Mira is known as a reliable transmitter of information between the two departments.

pattern: transmitter + of + [thing transmitted]

The mosquito acts as a dangerous transmitter of malaria in many tropical countries.

Common collocations
  • transmitter of information
  • transmitter of disease
  • transmitter of signals
  • transmitter of culture
  • transmitter of traditions
Synonyms
  • carrier

    most common for biological or disease contexts (e.g. 'a carrier of the virus'); also used for signals and goods

  • messenger

    specifically a person who delivers spoken or written messages; more natural for human agents than 'transmitter'

  • conduit

    a channel or pipe through which something passes; metaphorically used for a person or system that transmits ideas or information

  • vector

    a technical term in biology and epidemiology for an organism that transmits a pathogen; not used for people or information

Antonyms
  • receiver

    the person or device that receives what is transmitted; e.g. the recipient of a message or the target of a signal

Grammar Patterns

transmitter + of + noun phrase

Usage Note

This sense is less common in everyday speech than sense 1 (BROADCAST EQUIPMENT). It appears most often in technical, medical, or academic writing. When referring to a person, 'messenger' or 'go‑between' is usually more natural in conversation.

Common Mistakes

She works as a transmitter for the company.
She works as a messenger for the company.
'transmitter' sounds unnatural for a human job role outside technical contexts; use 'messenger' or 'liaison' instead.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Transmitter, broadcaster, sender, and beacon all relate to sending signals or information, but they differ in scope and context. A transmitter is the physical device that emits electronic signals — used for radio, television, Wi‑Fi, or any wireless communication. Broadcaster refers to the person, organization, or station that operates the transmission; it is not the hardware itself (e.g. 'the BBC is a public broadcaster'). Sender is a much more general term that applies to anything that sends — a person mailing a letter, an email server, or a signal device — and lacks the technical precision of transmitter. Beacon is a specialized type of transmitter that emits a continuous or periodic signal for navigation, warning, or identification (e.g. a lighthouse beacon or an emergency locator beacon). In practical use: 'technicians repaired the radio transmitter on the mountain' (hardware), 'the broadcaster apologised for the interruption' (organisation), 'the sender of the email was unknown' (general), and 'the plane sent a distress beacon after the engine failed' (specialised signal).

transmitter ↗broadcaster ↗sender ↗beacon ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Prepositions

  • transmitter + of

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Transmitter comes from the Latin verb 'transmittere' — formed from 'trans-' (across) and 'mittere' (to send or let go). In English, 'transmit' appeared around the early 1400s with the general meaning 'to send across'. The noun 'transmitter', formed by adding the agent suffix '-er', was first used in the 1600s for anything that sends something across. Its specialized meaning for radio broadcasting equipment emerged in the late 1800s with the invention of wireless telegraphy, and later expanded to cover television and digital communications.