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Synonyms

participate

American  
[pahr-tis-uh-peyt] / pɑrˈtɪs əˌpeɪt /

verb (used without object)

participates, present (3rd person singular) participated, past participle, past participating present participle
  1. to take or have a part or share, as with others; partake; share (usually followed byin ).

    to participate in profits;

    to participate in a play.


verb (used with object)

participates, present (3rd person singular) participated, past participle, past participating present participle
  1. Archaic. to take or have a part or share in; partake in; share.

participate British  
/ pɑːˈtɪsɪˌpeɪt /

verb

  1. to take part, be or become actively involved, or share (in)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See share 1.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of participate

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin participātus “shared,” past participle of participāre “to share,” equivalent to particip- (stem of particeps ) “taking part, partner” ( see participle) + -āre, verb suffix

Explanation

If you take part in an activity or organization, you participate in it. For example, you participate in a conversation by listening to and talking with others, or you participate in a sport by joining a team and taking part in practices and games. You can use the verb participate to mean "be involved in" or "share in." Sometimes it is easy to figure out who participates in something — the runners in a race, the people waiting their turn to audition for a part in a play. Sometimes it isn't so obvious. If two students cause trouble but the teacher punishes the whole class, it might be that in not stopping the troublemakers, she views everyone as having participated — just being there means they were involved.

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Vocabulary lists containing participate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A USC spokeswoman declined an interview request on Mark’s behalf, citing “a longstanding policy that freshmen do not participate in interviews until they have meaningfully contributed in a game.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026

The team "took off this evening for Mexico to participate in the World Cup after" training in Turkey, it said.

From Barron's • Jun. 6, 2026

SpaceX also posted a copy of its roadshow slide deck, which executives can be expected to use over the coming days to persuade investors to participate in its IPO.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026

Coroner Pegg said the state had a "duty to carry out a public investigation... in which Henry's family can fully participate", which they had not been able to do during the trial.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and Martin Luther King III were among those who traveled hundreds of miles to participate in what was heralded as “the beginnings of a new civil rights movement.”

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

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