émetteur

Émetteur is a French noun that denotes an agent that emits something, or, in technical contexts, a transmitter. It is derived from the verb émettre, meaning to emit or send out. In French, the term can refer to a device that generates and transmits signals, as well as to the source of radiation or information.

In telecommunications and electronics, an émetteur is a transmitter that generates and sends radio frequency signals. It typically modulates an information signal onto a carrier, amplifies it, and radiates it via an antenna. Emetteurs are paired with récepteurs (receivers) as a basic communications system, and may include modules such as oscillators, modulators, and power amplifiers.

In physics and instrumentation, an émetteur is a source of emission of energy, particles, or photons. Examples include radioactive emitters that release alpha or beta particles, and light emitters such as LEDs or lasers. The concept emphasizes the source rather than the path or receiver of the signal.

In information theory and linguistics, émetteur (or émetteur/recepteur) refers to the sender of a message within a communication model, with the récepteur or receiver as the destination. The term highlights the actor responsible for encoding and sending content.

Etymology: from French émettre "to emit", from Latin emittere. The orthography with acute accent is typical of French; the English equivalents are emitter or transmitter, depending on context.