Synonyms

translate

American

[trans-leyt, tranz-, trans-leyt, tranz-] / trænsˈleɪt, trænz-, ˈtræns leɪt, ˈtrænz- /

verb (used with object)

to turn from one language into another or from a foreign language into one's own.

to translate Spanish.
to change the form, condition, nature, etc., of; transform; convert.

to translate wishes into deeds.
to explain in terms that can be more easily understood; interpret.
to bear, carry, or move from one place, position, etc., to another; transfer.
Mechanics. to cause (a body) to move without rotation or angular displacement; subject to translation.
Computers. to convert (a program, data, code, etc.) from one form to another.

to translate a FORTRAN program into assembly language.
Telegraphy. to retransmit or forward (a message), as by a relay.
Ecclesiastical.
1. to move (a bishop) from one see to another.
2. to move (a see) from one place to another.
3. to move (relics) from one place to another.
to convey or remove to heaven without natural death.
Mathematics. to perform a translation on (a set, function, etc.).
to express the value of (a currency) in a foreign currency by applying the exchange rate.
to exalt in spiritual or emotional ecstasy; enrapture.

verb (used without object)

to provide or make a translation; act as translator.
to admit of translation.

The Greek expression does not translate easily into English.

translate British

/ trænsˈleɪt, trænz- /

verb

to express or be capable of being expressed in another language or dialect

he translated Shakespeare into Afrikaans
his books translate well
(intr) to act as translator
(tr) to express or explain in simple or less technical language
(tr) to interpret or infer the significance of (gestures, symbols, etc)
(tr) to transform or convert

to translate hope into reality
(tr; usually passive) biochem to transform the molecular structure of (messenger RNA) into a polypeptide chain by means of the information stored in the genetic code See also transcribe
to move or carry from one place or position to another
(tr)
1. to transfer (a cleric) from one ecclesiastical office to another
2. to transfer (a see) from one place to another
(tr) RC Church to transfer (the body or the relics of a saint) from one resting place to another
(tr) theol to transfer (a person) from one place or plane of existence to another, as from earth to heaven
maths physics to move (a figure or body) laterally, without rotation, dilation, or angular displacement
(intr) (of an aircraft, missile, etc) to fly or move from one position to another
archaic (tr) to bring to a state of spiritual or emotional ecstasy

"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

Other Word Forms

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Conjugated Forms

Present

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Etymology

Origin of translate

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English translaten, from Latin trānslātus “borne across,” past participle of trānsferre “to bear across,” from trāns- trans- + ferre “to bear, bring, carry” ( see also bear ¹); for the suppletive element -lātus, earlier tlātus (unrecorded), see also thole ², tolerate

Explanation

To translate is to put into a different language or interpret. If your brother says, "Gee, Mom, all of my friends have really cool pets, like snakes and stuff," you can translate that statement to mean "I want a snake." Translate comes from the Latin translates, which means "carry across." The word isn't limited to talking about language. You can translate sales into dollars, or a play into a movie. When used that way, translate means changing something from one form to another.

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Vocabulary lists containing translate

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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.

See Examples For:

translate translates translated translating

Can Haji Wright translate his Championship scoring form to the Premier League?

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

Another function is to translate a jumble of oral commands into a clear and concise text message.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

Controlled clinical trials will therefore be necessary before researchers can determine whether the observed biological changes translate into meaningful treatment benefits.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

That doesn’t necessarily translate to a successful film.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

What did it mean to translate it as “investment” or “charge”? And what good did it do to translate it as “cathexis”? What did “cathexis” mean?

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok

Yet a decline in birth rates also translates to an ageing population across the Maghreb.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

Now, the Do Hiemon - which roughly translates to "The Cooling Box" - is being rolled out in public spaces and sold to businesses.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

That also translates to heavy capital spending, with third-quarter capital expenditures expected between $11.5 billion and $13.5 billion, “based on the significant amount of new capacity we will be delivering to customers,” Agrawal says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

For Roger Federer, who is reported to own about 3% of the company, that move translates into a roughly $50 million decline in the value of his holdings.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

She passes me a tissue, says something in Hebrew, then translates, “May God console you. I’m so sorry to hear this, Elisheva. I didn’t know. Can I do anything for your family?”

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

One woman got mad and left the chat, another got stranded and a salty side conversation got translated to text and circulated to all.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

It's there that edicts handed down by the reclusive emir are translated into what are known as workarounds.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

“Listing is a must,” LimX Dynamics founder Will Zhang told reporters in July, according to remarks translated by CNBC.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

Mapping those pathways could reveal how chemical signals are translated into caregiving behavior.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026

“And I did all right? I translated everything as I was supposed to?”

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

Clinical geneticist Dr. Xiao P. Peng, who helped confirm Hinken’s family’s diagnoses, said the tools still make mistakes and are better at generating possible leads, translating complex medical jargon and compiling research than making diagnoses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

He had been a tailor in Afghanistan, but also worked with military personnel, translating his native Farsi alongside Dari, Pashto, Urdu and Arabic.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

Riley is betting big on that translating to the Trojans’ defense this fall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026

Mizoguchi concluded, "Our study demonstrated significant changes in orexin neuron activity depending on expected rewards and the effort required, suggesting a potential mechanism for translating expectations into sustained action."

From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026

I was translating today’s writing for von Linden, my elbows on the table and my head between my hands, not daring to look at him.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023