← Back to Dictionary

Communique

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Communique /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪ/ · noun

A short documentary narration — meaning, origin, and how the word is used.

In this course, communique means an official announcement or a formal statement issued by an authority or. A related lesson is the last course. One citation is the Cambridge English entry, and a second is the Cambridge learner entry. Encyclopaedic background is in Press release.

Ready
Podcast 2 · Daily Use

In Conversation

Two British speakers using "communique" naturally in everyday talk.

Ready
Podcast 3 · Prompt Engineering

Prompting with "communique"

An instructor and developer explore real, copy-ready AI prompts built around the word.

Ready
1 / 3

Transcript: “Communique” vocabulary micro-course

Read along with the three podcasts, or open the full dictionary entry for Communique for the definition, Arabic meaning, synonyms and example sentences.

Podcast 1 — Introduction & meaning

Narrator: Today's word is "Communique" — noun, pronounced /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪ/, with the stress on the last syllable.

Narrator: A communique is an official announcement or a formal statement issued by an authority or a person in a position of power.

Narrator: In plain English, it is a fancy word for a public notice or a written report that explains a recent decision or event.

Narrator: The word is borrowed directly from French, originally meaning communicated, and it reflects the practice of diplomatic discourse.

Narrator: The collocation joint communique is frequently used to describe a formal document released by two or more nations after high-level meetings.

Narrator: It differs from a press release because a communique is almost always issued by government bodies or international organizations rather than private companies.

Narrator: You might also encounter the term in a figurative sense, referring to a deeply significant or cryptic message conveyed by a leader.

Narrator: Political science, international relations, and high-level corporate governance are the primary fields that rely on this term.

Narrator: So remember: a communique is the formal voice of authority, turning private negotiation into public record.

Read podcasts 2 and 3

Podcast 2 — In conversation

Speaker A: Why do diplomats always use the word communique instead of just saying official statement?

Speaker B: It implies a higher level of gravity, derived from the French COMMUNIQUE meaning shared or imparted, which captures the formality of international relations.

Speaker A: Does it have to be a document or can it be spoken?

Speaker B: It is almost exclusively written, functioning as a permanent record of an agreement.

Speaker A: Example sentences?

Speaker B: The summit ended with a joint communique confirming trade terms, the prime minister issued a brief communique regarding the strike, and we analysed the final communique for hidden diplomatic tensions.

Speaker A: Common mistakes?

Speaker B: Do not confuse it with communication, and remember that it specifically refers to the statement itself rather than the act of talking.

Speaker A: Close relatives?

Speaker B: Dispatch is a cousin, memorandum is a twin, and bulletin is an alternative, though none matches its official charm!

Podcast 3 — Prompt engineering

Speaker B: Let's use "communique" in AI prompts — useful for drafting government policy reports and simulating high-stakes diplomatic correspondence.

Speaker A: How do I prompt the AI to take on the right tone?

Speaker B: You must specify the authority level and the desired formality.

Prompt: Write a formal communique from the Ministry of Finance announcing the new interest rate adjustments to the public.

Speaker A: What about when I need to sound more modern or corporate?

Speaker B: Focus the prompt on the strategic impact of the message.

Prompt: Draft a short communique from the Board of Directors summarising the successful merger agreement with our primary competitor.

Speaker A: Can I use it for creative writing for a game?

Speaker B: Absolutely, set the scene by defining the sender's role.

Prompt: Generate a brief, mysterious communique sent from a resistance leader to their followers before the final uprising.

Speaker A: One more?

Speaker B: Here is one for an international summit scenario.

Prompt: Create a joint communique for a G7 summit that addresses global climate goals and sustainable energy infrastructure investments.