relatable

[ri-leyt-uh-buhl]

adjective

1. able to be connected or linked.

   The power of the drill is directly relatable to the amount of voltage stored in its battery.

2. easy to form a social or emotional connection with; appealing or sympathetic.

   She plays the sort of supremely relatable everywoman that moviegoers love and learn from.

Other Word Forms

• relatability noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of relatable¹

relat(e) ( def. ) + -able ( def. )

Example Sentences

But the most effective aspect of this monologue was Kimmel’s relatable everyman outrage.

From Salon

The judges said: "A road trip chronicle, a book about sickness, a basketball novel, a family saga, and a story about how we say goodbye, with a ridiculously relatable narrator."

From BBC

His supporters said he was relatable, understood their concerns and was able to hold respectful conversations with those he disagreed with.

From BBC

The subject is relatable, as lifespans have extended while health insurance only seems to contract.

From Los Angeles Times

His supporters said he was relatable and understood their concerns.

From BBC

Related Words

• engaging 

When To Use

What does relatable mean?

If something is relatable, it means you can relate to it—you can identify with it because you’ve experienced it or something similar.Relatable is the adjective form of relate, one meaning of which is to establish a social or sympathetic relationship with a person or thing. Saying something is relatable is the same as saying that you can relate to it.Relatable can also mean able to be expressed or described, as in Complex concepts like this are not easily relatable in such a short amount of time.It can also mean able to be connected to something else, as in The two events are not so easily relatable—it’s not a simple case of cause and effect. Example: The part in the movie when she hit the snooze button 10 times was so relatable—I do that all the time!