# Communications Technology vs. Communication Technology

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communications-technology-vs-communication-technology/601352>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [October 31, 2011, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communications-technology-vs-communication-technology/601352 "2011-10-31T04:02:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communications-technology-vs-communication-technology/601352/1 "2011-10-31T04:02:58Z")

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I always use the former, “communications technology,” with an S. But I keep seeing communication technology used and am wondering if this is another Britishism. Are both correct or is the latter considered outdated like I had thought?

EDIT: And of course I know how to spell “technology.” Could a Mod please fix that in the title please?

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**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communications-technology-vs-communication-technology/601352/2 "2011-10-31T13:07:48Z")

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Fixed!

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**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communications-technology-vs-communication-technology/601352/3 "2011-10-31T15:23:55Z")

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Thanks.

I can only assume the masses are pondering this weighty question before answering.

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**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communications-technology-vs-communication-technology/601352/4 "2011-10-31T15:33:25Z")

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Old-school Yank here, and I always say “Communication.”

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**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communications-technology-vs-communication-technology/601352/5 "2011-10-31T16:25:50Z")

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I think it would depend on context, but I’d either go with Communications Technology (as in, the technology that makes various forms of communication work) or Communication Technologies (as in, the various technology forms that allow for communication).

Communication Technology just sounds wrong; like it’s one specific thing (one tech, one communication form), at which point you might as well just name it specifically.

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**Author:** ![Bosstrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Bosstrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstrain)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communications-technology-vs-communication-technology/601352/6 "2011-10-31T16:29:40Z")

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Depends, if I’m referring to it as a whole, I’d use the “S”, but if I’m talking about my own equipment that I use to communicate with I’d drop the “S” (don’t ask why, I don’t know, but then again, I’m a bit strange like that, so it makes perfect sense to me).