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Synonyms

participate

American

[pahr-tis-uh-peyt] / pɑrˈtɪs əˌpeɪt /

verb (used without object)

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)

Archaic. to take or have a part or share in; partake in; share.

participate British

/ pɑːˈtɪsɪˌpeɪt /

verb

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

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

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

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Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789)

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A Résumé of Active Words

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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.

“They will only be afraid of these protests if they last a long time and lots of people participate, paralyzing the country,” said Ákos Hadházy, an independent parliament member from Budapest.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 17, 2025

More than 6.7 million people participate in WIC as of June 2024 — among the highest monthly totals of the past several years and higher than any yearly average since 2018.

From Salon • Oct. 15, 2024

And a program announced in South Korea last year offers monthly stipends and other financial supports to help reclusive young people participate in society.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 24, 2024

“We can help more people participate in music,” Bamberger said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 6, 2023

On the contrary, the success of the American government, as of any government in which the people participate, depends upon the intelligence and education of the people.

From A History of the Philippines by Barrows, David P.

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