Communications or Communication?

Communications or communication?

The word com­mu­nic­a­tions (with an ‑s) dif­fers from com­mu­nic­a­tion (without an ‑s).

Of course, that seems obvi­ous. However, many use these words incor­rectly — even with­in the pub­lic rela­tions industry!

Here we go:

Communications or Communication?

Have you ever wondered why pub­lic rela­tions pro­fes­sion­als often refer to com­mu­nic­a­tions (with an — s) instead of com­mu­nic­a­tion (without an — s)?

The terms “com­mu­nic­a­tions” and “com­mu­nic­a­tion” are often used inter­change­ably, yet they embody sep­ar­ate con­cepts with­in the con­text of lan­guage, tech­no­logy, and the study of human inter­ac­tion. ¹Rivera, K. (2017). Communication vs Communications. Csusm​.edu. https://​www​.csusm​.edu/​c​o​m​m​u​n​i​c​a​t​i​o​n​/​m​a​j​o​r​_​d​i​f​f​e​r​e​n​c​e​s​.​h​tml ²Communication vs. Communications — Differences Between Master’s Programs. (2024, January 2). MastersinCommunications​.com. https://​www​.mas​tersin​com​mu​nic​a​tions​.com/​f​a​q​s​/​c​o​m​m​u​n​i​c​a​t​i​o​n​-​v​s​-​c​o​m​m​u​n​i​c​a​t​i​ons

While com­mu­nic­a­tion cap­tures the human aspect of shar­ing and inter­pret­ing inform­a­tion, com­mu­nic­a­tions delves into the tech­nic­al realm of mes­sage trans­mis­sion sys­tems and technologies.

Understanding the nuances between com­mu­nic­a­tions and com­mu­nic­a­tion can provide insights into the nature of trans­mit­ting inform­a­tion and inter­per­son­al and mass com­mu­nic­a­tion dynamics.

Learn more: Communications or Communication

Communications Synonyms

Merriam-Webster sug­gests the fol­low­ing 25 syn­onyms for com­mu­nic­a­tions: ³Thesaurus res­ults for COMMUNICATIONS. (2024). Merriam​-Webster​.com. https://​www​.mer​ri​am​-web​ster​.com/​t​h​e​s​a​u​r​u​s​/​c​o​m​m​u​n​i​c​a​t​i​ons

The word com­mu­nic­a­tions (with an ‑s) is often found in pro­fes­sion­al set­tings, such as Communications Department, Corporate Communications, Crisis Communications, Communications Plan, Communications Strategy, etc.

Learn more: Communications Synonyms (With Explanations)

THANKS FOR READING.
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Communications 101

• What Communication Is (and Why It Matters)
• The Shannon-Weaver Model of Communication
• Why Communication Is Important
• The Communication Definition
• Communications Synonyms (With Explanations)
• Communications or Communication?

Communication Skills

• Active Listening
• Small Talk
• Presenting Slides
• Asking Questions
• Drafting

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