Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Transportation has 7 different meanings across 1 category:
a facility consisting of the means and equipment necessary for the movement of passengers or goods
"The new transportation hub opened yesterday, featuring state-of-the-art conveyor belts to streamline cargo handling."
the act of moving something from one location to another
"The new highway significantly reduced the time required for transportation of heavy machinery between the two construction sites."
the sum charged for riding in a public conveyance
"The new city policy caps daily transportation fees at ten dollars to help commuters manage their expenses."
the United States federal department that institutes and coordinates national transportation programs; created in 1966
"After Congress passed the new bill to fund high-speed rail, Secretary of Transportation promised that her department would finally coordinate a unified national network."
the commercial enterprise of moving goods and materials
"The company restructured its entire transportation division to reduce costs on shipping raw materials from overseas suppliers."
the act of expelling a person from their native land
"men in exile dream of hope"
"his deportation to a penal colony"
"the expatriation of wealthy farmers"
"the sentence was one of transportation for life"
The act of transporting, or the state of being transported; conveyance, often of people, goods etc.
"The city council voted to expand public transportation after commuters complained about the overcrowded buses during rush hour."
In plain English: Transportation is the act of moving people or things from one place to another.
"Public transportation is the most affordable way to get around the city."
Usage: Use transportation to refer specifically to systems and methods used for moving people or goods from one place to another. Avoid confusing this with transport as a verb when you mean the physical process of carrying something somewhere.
The word transportation comes from combining the root transport with the suffix -ation to form a noun. It entered English directly from French and Latin without needing an explanation of its original meaning since it refers to moving people or goods just as it does today.