correlate

American  

[kawr-uh-leyt, kor-, kawr-uh-lit, -leyt, kor-] / ˈkɔr əˌleɪt, ˈkɒr-, ˈkɔr ə lɪt, -ˌleɪt, ˈkɒr- /

verb (used with object)

correlated, correlating

1. to place in or bring into mutual or reciprocal relation; establish in orderly connection.

   to correlate expenses and income.

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verb (used without object)

correlated, correlating

1. to have a mutual or reciprocal relation; stand in correlation.

   The results of the two tests correlate to a high degree.

adjective

1. mutually or reciprocally related.

noun

1. either of two related things, especially when one implies the other.

correlate British  

/ ˈkɒrɪˌleɪt /

verb

1. to place or be placed in a mutual, complementary, or reciprocal relationship

2. (tr) to establish or show a correlation

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adjective

1. having a mutual, complementary, or reciprocal relationship

noun

1. either of two things mutually or reciprocally related

Other Word Forms

• correlatable adjective
• intercorrelate verb (used with object)
• noncorrelating adjective
• uncorrelated adjective
• uncorrelatedly adverb

Etymology

Origin of correlate

First recorded in 1635–45; probably back formation from correlation and correlative

Explanation

If you notice that crumbs appear on your little brother's shirt whenever the cookies disappear from the cookie jar, you can say that you've correlated two facts, meaning that you've established or revealed that they're linked in a way that explains both of them. Detectives correlate pieces of evidence in order to solve crimes. For example, they might correlate a suspect’s bandaged hand with a shattered third-floor window. Correlate can also be used as a noun. Some companies promote products by suggesting that their products increase “happiness correlates,” or factors that have been shown to have a relationship with happiness, like health and friendship.

Example Sentences

Thankfully, that is not the impression one gets here, nor does it correlate with visitors’ experiences.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026

"I think there's a hell of a lot more work to be done when it comes to your menstrual cycle and addiction and how that can correlate to making those bad decisions."

From BBC • Jan. 7, 2026

The projected price tag has already ballooned from $200 million to $400 million, but those numbers have almost no meaning since they don’t correlate to any plans that would generate an estimate.

From Salon • Dec. 19, 2025

"Our study provides some of the strongest evidence so far that microplastics may directly contribute to cardiovascular disease, not just correlate with it," Zhou said.

From Science Daily • Nov. 18, 2025

Race will correlate with nothing; it will mean nothing; we won’t even notice it anymore.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

• correspond
• interact
• tie in