relate

[ri-leyt]

See more synonyms for relate on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), re·lat·ed, re·lat·ing.

to tell; give an account of (an event, circumstance, etc.).
to bring into or establish association, connection, or relation: to relate events to probable causes.

verb (used without object), re·lat·ed, re·lat·ing.

to have reference (often followed by to).
to have some relation (often followed by to).
to establish a social or sympathetic relationship with a person or thing: two sisters unable to relate to each other.

Origin of relate

1480–90; < Latin relātus, suppletive past participle of referre to carry back (see refer)

Related formsre·lat·a·bil·i·ty, nounre·lat·a·ble, adjectivere·lat·er, nounmis·re·late, verb, mis·re·lat·ed, mis·re·lat·ing.pre·re·late, verb (used with object), pre·re·lat·ed, pre·re·lat·ing.un·re·lat·ing, adjective

Synonyms for relate

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1. narrate, delineate, detail, repeat. Relate, recite, recount, rehearse mean to tell, report, or describe in some detail an occurrence or circumstance. To relate is to give an account of happenings, events, circumstances, etc.: to relate one's adventures. To recite may mean to give details consecutively, but more often applies to the repetition from memory of something learned with verbal exactness: to recite a poem. To recount is usually to set forth consecutively the details of an occurrence, argument, experience, etc., to give an account in detail: to recount an unpleasant experience. Rehearse implies some formality and exactness in telling, sometimes with repeated performance as for practice before final delivery: to rehearse one's side of a story. 2. ally.

Antonyms for relate

2. dissociate.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for relate

disclose, reveal, describe, detail, present, compare, associate, pertain, ascribe, link, connect, affect, apply, concern, assign, refer, recite, picture, express, rehearse

Examples from the Web for relate

Contemporary Examples of relate

I am not remotely embarrassed to relate he weighed just 9lb.
Confessions of a Turkey Killer
Tom Sykes
November 26, 2014
That the song has become so indelible is likely owed to the fact that we can all sort of relate.
‘My Crazy Love’ Reveals the Craziest Lies People Tell for Love
Kevin Fallon
November 18, 2014
We were drawn to music from the outside, so we are able to relate to the outside world.
The Sisterhood of Bulletproof Stockings: It’s Ladies’ Night for Hasidic Rockers
Emily Shire
September 30, 2014
People are starting to recognize that depression must relate to biology, because who would give up such an outwardly gifted life?
We're Talking About Depression All Wrong
Jean Kim
August 20, 2014
Populating that name with examples that people can relate to makes it understandable.
Anna Paquin’s Bisexuality for Dummies
Amanda Marcotte
August 5, 2014

Historical Examples of relate

Many other things I saw and heard, but was forbidden to relate.
Philothea
Lydia Maria Child
It would be tedious to relate each step of the ensuing negotiations.
The Leopard Woman
Stewart Edward White
Both our passages were pleasant, and give me nothing to relate.
Ned Myers
James Fenimore Cooper
She was anxious to talk of her niece, and to relate how she had been singing my praises to Monny.
It Happened in Egypt
C. N. Williamson
When I have no events to relate, still I must write to convey to you my sentiments.
Tales And Novels, Volume 8 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth

British Dictionary definitions for relate

relate

verb

(tr) to tell or narrate (a story, information, etc)
(often foll by to) to establish association (between two or more things) or (of something) to have relation or reference (to something else)
(intr often foll by to) to form a sympathetic or significant relationship (with other people, things, etc)

Derived Formsrelatable, adjectiverelater, noun

Word Origin for relate

C16: from Latin relātus brought back, from referre to carry back, from re- + ferre to bear; see refer

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

Word Origin and History for relate

1520s, "to recount, tell," from Middle French relater "refer, report" (14c.) and directly from Latin relatus, used as past participle of referre "bring back, bear back" (see refer), from re- "back, again" + latus (see oblate (n.)).

Meaning "stand in some relation; have reference or respect" is from 1640s; transitive sense of "bring (something) into relation with (something else)" is from 1690s. Meaning "to establish a relation between" is from 1771. Sense of "to feel connected or sympathetic to" is attested from 1950, originally in psychology jargon. Related: Related; relating.