relatable

American  

[ri-leyt-uh-buhl] / rɪˈleɪ tə bəl /

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.

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Usage

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!

Other Word Forms

• relatability noun

Etymology

Origin of relatable

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

Example Sentences

This has meant the show has spent more time with the very relatable Dunk and his precocious charge Egg.

From Los Angeles Times

Like all good jokes, it’s both funny and achingly relatable, with a punchline that sticks to the ribs.

From Salon

“It would just be quite the learning curve for really big city people to try and write content that’s relatable to them.”

From The Wall Street Journal

"Her dad was chancellor of the exchequer - it's a hard line to walk, but she's also very relatable."

From BBC

So that was really what I was more worried about, is like, can I get this message across and make it relatable, funny and entertaining at the same time?

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• engaging