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

Credit scores don’t always correlate with incomes, but a larger income can help borrowers stay current on their bills and build their credit score.

From MarketWatch • May 4, 2026

"Previously, these models basically had random regions of polarization, but they didn't tell you how those regions correlate with each other," Xu says.

From Science Daily • May 4, 2026

The vertical integration of the lighting, the merch, how those imagistic components correlate to the music.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

In any given season, the teams that are most banged up tend to correlate with the teams that finish at the bottom of the standings.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026

They can correlate the samples with their locations later.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

Related Words

• correspond
• interact
• tie in